May 22 (GMM) F1 is racing ahead with its four-cylinder turbo engine formula, despite speculation the sport was pushing to have the scheduled 2013 regulations repealed.
FIA president Jean Todt, and his engine deputy Gilles Simon, met with the engine manufacturers in Barcelona on Saturday, amid rumours at least three of the sport's four suppliers now wanted to stick with the current V8 technology beyond 2012.France's autohebdo.fr reports that in the wake of the meeting, "no changes" will be made to the 2013 regulations that have already been agreed and announced.And Jean-Louis Moncet, the French commentator, said he spoke to his well-connected Italian colleague Pino Allievi - La Gazzetta dello Sport correspondent - about his post-meeting chat with Todt."As I said before, we will not change (the 2013 rules)," Todt is quoted as saying by Moncet's Auto Plus blog."You can do something else, create another discipline, but the world championship of formula one of the FIA will take place with the engine regulations that have been decided," he insisted.It had been suggested that Renault was set to side with Ferrari and Bernie Ecclestone against the 2013 rules, but the French marque's F1 chief Jean-Francois Caubet was giving a very different message in Spain."We are fully supporting the FIA," he said. "It makes a lot of sense for a carmaker like Renault to be road relevant. I think it is a key point for the future of formula one."
