Mosley urges FIA to step in as F1 teams struggle with costs
Former FIA president Max Mosley says the governing body should intervene to address Formula 1's financial imbalance, warning that smaller teams remain at risk under the current structure.
Max Mosley, former president of the FIA, has called for the governing body to play a more active role in resolving Formula 1’s ongoing financial disparities. Mosley, who led the FIA until 2009, said the current structure leaves smaller teams in distress while the top teams remain secure, and argued that the FIA should intervene rather than leaving the sport’s problems to be settled internally.
Speaking to Sky, Mosley contrasted his interventionist approach with that of his successor, Jean Todt. While Todt has focused on road safety and kept a lower profile in F1 matters, Mosley suggested that the Federation should act as a mediator, especially as commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone is unable to address the sport’s structural issues alone. Mosley said, “The basic structure of F1 is wrong, with the top teams very rich and the others in distress and yet they are forced to find shared solutions.”
Cost cap and engine supply concerns
Mosley backed the introduction of hybrid power units but criticised the way costs have spiralled, blaming the absence of a spending cap. He said the fundamental mistake was failing to limit budgets, allowing manufacturers to pass high development costs onto smaller teams. According to Mosley, engine suppliers should be required by regulation to offer power units at €3–4 million per year, warning that if manufacturers are unwilling to do so, they should not be in Formula 1.
He also argued that the current system unfairly burdens small teams with the cost of engine development, while manufacturers ultimately benefit from transferring the technology to road cars. Mosley’s comments echo previous debates about budget caps and engine supply rules, which have divided teams and prompted regulatory proposals in recent years. For more on the FIA’s evolving approach to cost control, seeFIA Refines Budget Cap Proposal Amid Resistance from F1 Teams.
Leadership styles and the future of F1
Mosley stopped short of calling for a generational change at the top of Formula 1, acknowledging Ecclestone’s commercial achievements but repeating his call for more assertive governance. He suggested Todt views team principals and Ecclestone as capable of resolving disputes without interference, but Mosley maintained that active FIA involvement is needed to safeguard the sport’s long-term health.
As Formula 1 continues to debate cost control and governance, Mosley’s intervention highlights ongoing tensions between teams, manufacturers and the FIA over the sport’s direction and financial sustainability.
