F1 Standardized Engined Proposal: NOT a Standardized Engine Proposal!

I am angry today. I am angry because of the proposed changes to F1 engine regulations.

But I am not angry at Bernie Ecclestone. Or Max Mosley. I'm angry at the vast majority of F1 fans.

Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley are indeed two of the worst people involved in F1. Both need to be removed from their positions of influence as soon as humanly possible. Their proposals have almost all invariably done more harm than good.

But to be fair, most of the ideas have been good in principle; it's just the form that they chose to apply them in that have done damage.

But isn't that why FOTA has been formed? To help tweak the ideas to make them WORK?

There's a reason some of FOTA's members are in support of the proposed changes, and it's for a simple reason that the vast majority of F1 fans has COMPLETELY overlooked.

The "standardized engine" proposal DOES NOT PROPOSE A SINGLE STANDARDIZED ENGINE!

I have gone over this proposal with a fine-toothed comb, and nowhere in it does it say anything about a single engine supplier or even a completely standardized engine.

In fact, the proposal expressly states that only certain parts of the engine will be standardized, and that there will NOT be a single supplier. All current suppliers will continue to build their own engines.

And yet, simply because the term "standardized" was used to describe the changes, fans are freaking out, accusing Mosley and Ecclestone of trying to turn F1 into A1GP—single engine supplier, etc.

This is exactly why I tend to avoid F1 discussions. Not because of the ownership politics, but its fans are so hateful of Mosley and Ecclestone that they NEVER seem to think about something the two have said before universally condemning the idea.

And boy, do I know I'm opening up a can of worms by posting this. But I have a belief regarding opinions that makes me unable to NOT touch this subject.

That belief is: I don't care if you agree with me or not, but if your opinion is NOT based on accurate facts, I WILL ensure you GET the accurate facts. Even if I don't think it will sway your opinion.

I will now note that I do NOT like the proposal. It would make a good LAST RESORT if the sport was obviously in the kind of trouble Max and Bernie claim, but as things stand now, it's far more radical a change than is needed.

In my "Four Ways To Improve Formula One" article, I made note of an alternate idea for dealing with engine. IT wouldn't cut costs to the level of this latest proposal, but honestly it may be all that's really needed.

In any case, folks, would you PLEASE, for the love of GOD set aside your hatred of these two long enough to actually read the proposal so that you can get your facts right when you oppose it?