Factory team to quit F1?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7660016.stm

Place your bets!

Ponty?

Isn't he speculating rather than being specific?

Well, its either BMW, Renault, Honda or Toyota from the phrasing "major road-car manufacturer", so Im going to plump for Renault.

I'll go for Toyota.

Just speculation I'm afraid. Renault have just finished building £60m CFD centre and raised next year's budget by 40% so it seems a bit of a stretch to assume they'd be the first to jump ship. Stranger things have happened though.

Most of this speculation is a result of Mad Max banging his fist on the table demanding a single engine supplier to save costs. Given that the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) have been unable to agree on any cost cutting measures between themselves I'm not surprised he's come in hard. There will be negotiations and then a compromise will be reached. It always is.

I'd imagine, worst case, that we'll have a spec(ish) engine built to a loose blueprint by the individual manufacturers. TBH if the series goes to a spec series, even on engines alone, there'll be nothing in it for any of the manufacturers, let alone one of them, so most, if not all, would simply pull out. Bernie and Max don't want that, their money is generated by the interest in the big names. After all, if it was all about the pure racing the F3 stuff would bring in the big crowds and the big money.

Well, its either BMW, Renault, Honda or Toyota from the phrasing "major road-car manufacturer", so Im going to plump for Renault.

Being honest, the one you've missed from your list, Mercedes, are the most likely to leave first if we go over to a spec engine. They're only in it for the engines, the cars are McLaren.

Being honest, the one you've missed from your list, Mercedes, are the most likely to leave first if we go over to a spec engine. They're only in it for the engines, the cars are McLaren.

Those were my thoughts also.

Probably Honda. Just because they've become rubbish and don't seem to know how to become unrubbish again.

Probably Honda. Just because they've become rubbish and don't seem to know how to become unrubbish again.

We won't see any real benefit from their technical restructuring until next year to be fair. This years car was designed by the previous reigm.

I hope so. I've always liked them as a team.

My money would have been on Honda if anyone. I hope not though. More cars mean more incidents and more interesting racing. Imagine if every race was like the 2005 USA Grand Prix.

Can't see Renault pulling out after what ponty just said. Toyota finally seem to be getting it together and, importantly, they're in a different league to Honda. BMW could well mount a title challenge with Kubica next year, and they aren't mathematically out of this year's championship.

I miss some of the old names like Jordan, Arrows, Minardi, Stewart and Prost. Would be great to see Jaguar back in the sport with backing from the Tata group, although that is unlikely.