Force India deputy principal Bob Fernley has launched a scathing attack on the Strategy Group, saying F1 teams should not be dictating the future of the sport to one another.
The Strategy Group, which is made up of the FIA, commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone and six teams (Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Williams and Force India), made headlines last week with its radical proposals for 2016 and 2017. Among the ideas put forward was a return to refuelling, while it has been reported customer cars were also discussed at length.
During Thursday's press conference in Monaco there was a split opinion on the success of that meeting at Biggin Hill, with Red Bull's Christian Horner and Mercedes' Toto Wolff calling it "positive". Force India is in the Strategy Group on account of its constructors' championship position last season but is one of the smaller teams pushing pushing for a redistribution of the sport's revenue stream.
Fernley pulled no punches when it was finally his turn to talk.
"I must have been at a different meeting," he said in response to Horner and Wolff. "I don't think it was a good meeting at all. After 18 months I think we failed totally to agree on any form of cost control. There's absolutely no way there is going to be any equitable distribution of income. Power units are going to remain the same. And whilst I agree that there were some good discussions on 2017, the fundamentals of Formula One weren't addressed at all."
He went on to explain his grievances with the group in more detail.
"I think that the problem I have is that I don't think the Strategy Group is fit for purpose and we should be looking at something where we have a clear programme that delivers results. We've have 18 months or two years of Strategy Group work with nothing coming out of it. I think we need to look at the system in a better way.
"In days gone by, with Max [Mosley] and Bernie in charge, there would be none of that. We would know exactly where we're going. I don't think you should have the teams making decisions on where Formula One should go. The teams should be told where Formula One is going."
Fernley was asked whether it is time for F1 to admit the Strategy Group has had its day, to which he replied: "I don't think it ever had its day. End of story."
Though arguing in favour of the Strategy Group as a decision-making body, Horner later admitted it has had little impact on F1's rulebook.
"The only thing that the Strategy Group voted unanimously on is the fact drivers cannot change their helmets," Horner conceded. "Is that a success for the group? Not really. Is it still a worthwhile structure? Probably."