New rule changes run into barrier

Formula one could be forced to reverse its rule changes after they were challenged yesterday by McLaren and Williams.

The top two British teams accused Max Mosley, president of the sport's ruling body, the FIA, of trying to "dumb down" formula one by introducing a package of measures that included eliminating telemetry between pits and cars and a reduction in the time spent preparing cars for races.

Their criticisism was made on the grounds of safety. The teams say that the new regulations, whereby cars must be kept in a secure parc fermé between Saturday night and the Sunday morning of the race, where no work can be carried out on them, would cut time for technical preparation and therefore have a potentially adverse impact on safety.

The changes were designed to help the smaller teams in the current climate of financial uncertainty and these teams reacted with dismay after McLaren and Williams said they considered the rule changes a breach of the Concorde agreement which governs the sport.

"I am horrified and absolutely astounded," said David Richards, the chairman of British American Racing. "This is the last thing the sport needs at the moment. We should all be pulling together to make it a success."

Paul Stoddart, the Minardi team principal who is struggling to tie up a modest £19m budget, was also deeply concerned. "It is a very sad prospect if we are going to have a year of off-track politics when the fans would rather have on-track racing."

McLaren and Williams have accused Mosley of breaching the sport's own rules, which he himself was largely responsible for framing, and have taken their complaint to the International Chamber of Commerce in Lausanne, the agreed means of arbitration under the terms of the Concorde agreement.

"We could conceivably have proceeded against the FIA in the French civil courts," said Martin Whitmarsh, the McLaren managing director, "but we are not seeking to be confrontational in this matter. We just want it clearly established that the formula one rules have to be applied in the manner which has been agreed."

Under the Concorde agreement, the Chamber of Commerce verdict is legally binding. "They are quite entitled to take the action they have," said Mosley, "although we regard the matter as something of a storm in a teacup." He said the FIA had taken legal advice on the issue and was confident of its position.