A meeting in London on Thursday eased the threat of a head-on collision between F1’s big and small teams, according to reports.<\/p>\n
Together with Bernie Ecclestone and Jean Todt, bosses of the 11 teams met at Ecclestone’s facility at the Biggin Hill airport.<\/p>\n
The meeting was called after the six most powerful teams – Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, McLaren, Lotus and Williams – vetoed Todt’s plans to introduce a mandatory budget cap from 2015.<\/p>\n
The remaining teams, F1’s smallest and least successful outfits Sauber, Force India, Marussia and Caterham, hit back angrily with a letter to Todt alleging that the vetoing ‘Strategy Group’ may be a breach of Europe’s competition laws.<\/p>\n
Indeed, the European Commission subsequently confirmed that it is “monitoring” the situation.<\/p>\n
The big teams have responded to the crisis by backing instead a range of cost-cutting proposals to the technical and sporting regulations.<\/p>\n
International media sources have said the proposals include the extension of paddock curfews, the banning of tyre warmers, and from 2016 and 2017 measures like standardised components, FIA-homologated active suspension, and 18-inch tyre dimensions.<\/p>\n
The German news agency DPA claims that, following Thursday’s meeting, a “solution” to the divisive issue of urgent cost-cutting now “seems more open”.<\/p>\n
The report said the small teams intend to respond to the rule change proposals “within the next two weeks”.<\/p>\n
London’s Times newspaper agreed that the threat of a European investigation had eased the crisis between the rebelling small teams and their powerful rivals.<\/p>\n
“Todt and the teams are said by insiders to have been rattled by the EU interest and were propelled towards finding a rapid solution,” wrote correspondent Kevin Eason.<\/p>\n
He added that FIA president Todt “promised to address serious grievances over costs”, and vowed to “revive an investigation into the possibility of a team ‘cost cap'”.<\/p>\n
“No one wants to hear that the EU is taking an interest,” said a source.\u00a0 “There is the realisation that we have to level the playing field and get costs under control quickly.”<\/p>\n
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