F1 to resist further change

F1 to resist further change

Mosley imposed the changes and thinks they should be given time

Formula One's rules are likely to remain unchanged for the rest of the 2003 season, according to motorsport boss Max Mosley.

The sport's governing body, the FIA, is due to meet the F1 teams on 11 April to discuss how the rule changes are working - but FIA president Mosley said only procedural changes would be made after the meeting.

"The rules cannot be changed during the season without unanimous agreement and I think most of the teams will feel we need more time to see the full effect of the new rules," he said.

Many team bosses have come out in public against the rule which demands teams qualify on Saturday with the same fuel load with which they will start the race.

They believe it takes much of the drama out of qualifying, which no longer sees drivers go flat out.

However, Williams technical director Patrick Head - who is one of those against the new qualifying rules - has said he thought F1 should wait at least half a season to see the full effect of the new rules before making any changes.

The new rules and procedures make it more probable that teams or drivers will make mistakes and give us a good race

Max Mosley
FIA president

Mosley defended the change, saying it was necessary to prevent the expensive development of cars that would only be used in qualifying - and that it spiced up the racing.

"If you want the teams genuinely to qualify the cars they race, you have to make sure all the cars are adjusted with full race settings and no potentially dangerous compromises," he said.

"This means that, among other things, they have to qualify with the settings and fuel load they use for the race."

He admitted this removed the spectacle of cars and drivers on the absolute limit in qualifying.

"Now we have single-lap qualifying you won't see this even if they run with minimal fuel.

"With single-lap qualifying, the driver must avoid an 'off', he must not even get the car out of shape. This is because a few tenths can be several rows on the grid."

But he said the new qualifying had played a part in creating the thrilling Australian Grand Prix - along with errors by leading drivers and teams.

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"The changes to qualifying make it more likely a driver will end up at the wrong end of the grid, and many did. On top of that, two major teams chose the wrong type of tyre.

"These problems combined with a damp track, and the errors during the race did the rest."

Mosley says the changes helped produce close racing in Australia

Mosley reiterated his view that the new rules would not end the domination of Ferrari.

"You cannot make special rules to stop one team.

"The new rules and procedures make it more probable that teams or drivers will make mistakes and give us a good race, as in Melbourne.

"But the best car-driver combinations will still be at or near the front most of the time and this is as it should be."