Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul has encouraged Formula One's rule makers to push ahead with a new set of regulations aimed at making the sport more extreme in 2017.
Plans to make the cars significantly faster by 2017 are on the agenda, but have stalled in recent weeks amid suggestions they may limit overtaking and concerns there will not be enough time to develop suitable tyres for the increased aerodynamic loads. The deadline for an agreement is March 1, after which unanimous approval (an unlikely prospect) would be required for the rules to be introduced in 2017.
The F1 Strategy Group, which includes six teams -- Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, Williams, McLaren and Force India --, is due to meet before the end of the month to put forward a final proposal and Abiteboul has issued a plea to the six teams to push ahead with a major shake-up of the regulations.
"We are not part of the F1 Strategy Group, so we are not part of those discussions," Abiteboul explained. "What do we think will happen? If I'm clear, I don't know. I'm just a bit afraid that we go to a more conservative solution and try to avoid any change because basically people are afraid of doing a mistake.
"There is some feelings that Formula One is threatened by a number of things and we are afraid of making the wrong decision, so we prefer to make no decision. I think actually making no decision can be a bad decision in itself. We would like to see ambition, we would like to see people being daring and change. If we f--- up we can always deal with that."
Abiteboul believes F1 should try to be different to other categories and move away from fuel saving and tyre saving, which he says are the preserve of endurance racing.
"In the past there was endurance on one side and Formula One on the other side and I think for a while Formula One has been leaning to endurance in order to attract manufacturers, but we should still have those two motor sport categories that are the top of their categories and very separate. Endurance should be all about fuel efficiency and technology and Formula One should be about drivers attacking as fast as they can. We want the fastest cars and fastest drivers. We don't really care about the rest. I think the priority for endurance in Formula One has been detrimental to Formula One.
"There are a number of things that I've seen that we should try, for instance changing the weekend format, because if it doesn't work out we can always go back to the old system. There are a number of things that are good - making the car go quicker, trying to make sure the drivers don't have to preserve the tyres so much."