F1 will lose charm: Lewis Hamilton

LONDON: Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton has warned teams participating in the top-end racing circuit not to indulge in too many cost-effective measures, saying that doing so could ruin the sport in the long-term.

Speaking in London, where he and Mika Hakkinen launched an anti-drink-drive campaign, Hamilton said Formula One must remain a manufacturer-supported series at the pinnacle of motor sport and the big companies must retain an incentive to stay involved.

“I can’t see standard engines and gearboxes happening simply because the manufacturers play such a huge role in the sport and are what make it so exciting,” The Times quoted the 23-year-old.

Hamilton’s comments may seem at odds with the agreement reached by the teams and the FIA in Monte Carlo on Wednesday that has at its centre a much cheaper engine with more standardised parts. However, the beauty of the new deal is that the manufacturers appear to have retained enough scope to do their own thing, just as the world champion wants them to.

Hamilton said that he is fully aware that drastic measures are required to safeguard Formula One’s future in the wake of Honda’s decision to quit and as the world economy continues to shrink. In Monte Carlo the detail of the new engine proposal for the 2010 season onwards will emerge today after the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council meets to discuss the agreement reached between the Formula One Teams Association (Fota) and Max Mosley, the president of the FIA.