Max loses patience with team bosses - again...

[Super Tourer]

www.autosport.com

Max Mosley has suggested that the FIA may abandon its efforts to cut costs in Formula 1 due to his frustration with the teams' intransigence. The FIA president hinted at this move in a forcefully worded fax to Minardi boss Paul Stoddart, who had recently questioned the legitimacy of Mosley's cost cutting plans.

Mosley argued that the boycotting of last month's Heathrow meeting by all bar Ferrari, combined with the buy-outs of Jaguar and Jordan by Red Bull and Midland respectively, suggested that there was no longer either a desire or a requirement for the cost cutting debate to continue.

“There are now those in the FIA who question whether further time and effort should be expended in seeking cost reduction in Formula 1. The matter will be discussed by the World Motor Sport Council next month and may well result in the abandonment of these efforts unless or until there is a financial crisis in Formula 1 of the kind which appeared imminent last autumn.”

In a 'broadside' reply to Paul Stoddarts 40 page letter - which you may have read on the FIA site, Max replied.

You are extremely fortunate to have time for this. In fact, I suspect you have a ghost writer, because slightly pompous legalise is not your usual style,” wrote Mosley in the opening paragraph of the fax.

As we all know whilst BE plays poker with the teams, MM plays chess - this strikes me as a clear move to flush out a 'refute' from the teams - the message is clear - 'you appear not to want to cut costs, so we won't bother - this of course heaps the onus and responsibility for the result onto the teams. Coming after the FIA released so much of the proposals into the public domain, suggests this is a 'put up or shut up', from the FIA.