By Daniella Matar
Formula One teams are worried that new regulations for the 2014 season could see costs spiral.
Jean Todt, President of F1's governing body, says that if costs don't decrease by at least 30 percent over the next three years, the sport risks losing several teams.
From 2014 engines are to switch from 2.4-litre V8s to 1.6-litre V6s.
"We've very clearly said that we don't want to go down to those times many years ago where engines were so horrendously expensive," Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn says. "I think in the last year, in this whole movement with cost-cutting and the engine freeze which took place, now costs have really gone down a lot and we don't want to take three steps back again with this new engine and end up at a point which was there many years ago."
Red Bull's Christian Horner is also keen to keep the costs down, as well as ensuring that teams that manufacture engines such as Mercedes do not have an unassailable advantage,
"I think that it's important that the engine doesn't become the crucial, single performance differentiator," he said. "I think that would be particularly unhealthy for Formula One and for the engine manufacturers involved.
"The difficulty with introducing new technology and advanced technology such as the 2014 engine, is that it comes at a price. And I think all of the independent teams are very eager to know what that price is and what the impact of that price will be. I don't think it's the right market for Formula One to see an increase in costs. I don't think that's ultimately sustainable."
AP