Round about the time that FIA President Jean Todt was ruling out a return to previous forms of engine configuration, claiming that "society" wouldn't allow it, Liberty Media's chief executive Greg Maffei was saying quite the opposite.

Speaking at the Deutsche Bank 2017 Media & Telecom Conference, Maffei, when asked about Liberty Media's plans to make the sport more competitive, and specifically if it was planned to "go back to the bigger engines", said: "Yes, there's some things to be done around engines, there's some things to be done around DRS systems, there's things to be done around how people qualify, things to be done more long term which are trying to balance out the amount of money received by high and low end teams.

"If you think about the NFL, a hard salary cap, strength of schedule, draft picked in reverse order, all of those are things done to balance out teams," he continued. "There's massive differences here (in F1), top teams spending five-hundred million, the bottom teams spending one hundred million. That's just crazy, that's hard to address.

"So trying to equalise some of that out, trying to equalise how some of the payments are made, we need to make the races more competitive, from the ground up including how the structure of the teams works."

Ignoring quite how Liberty intends telling the teams what to spend and even the thought of drivers being drafted, the inference in terms of engines is interesting.

As the sport's governing body, the FIA decides on the rules, and Todt has made clear what his feelings are.

However, as the owner, and seeking a dividend on its investment, Liberty will be looking at whatever might improve viewing figures, especially at a time TV numbers are falling.

Another interesting revelation by Maffei is that when Heineken came to the table as an F1 sponsor, it brought information on the sport's fan base that was light years ahead of what F1's own powers that be had available.

Liberty will be interested in bums on seats and couches, which in turn will attract more sponsors like Heineken. Liberty will not be influenced by what "society" might think.

As for Todt's vision of hydrogen powered cars and driverless cars – maybe even driverless hydrogen-powered cars – we're sure Maffei will treat that with the contempt it deserves.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by the dodger, 13/03/2017 14:51

"now that Liberty own F1 and virgin media does this mean that virgin viewers will get a better deal on watching F1 all races.instead of certain races."

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2. Posted by Mad Matt, 13/03/2017 13:14

"I think I've said before that the engine sounds are louder when I've watched other countries broadcasts. Personally, I don't really care too much, what matters to me is the on track action.... or lack of it.

While I'm here, I don't find the rules too complicated (kids love that sort of thing too, just look at the games they play, I can't follow Pokemon cards...) but they're implemented inconstantly and that detracts from the spectacle.

If we could get consistent rulings and regulations which produce cars which can run close together all we'd need would be some "heroes" to drive them! I think that's the last ingredient which makes sport really popular and that's personalities which attract a following, be it Giant Haystacks versus Big Daddy or Prost versus Senna..... everything else is window dressing."

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3. Posted by Mugmug, 13/03/2017 10:11

"To me, what fans want, and TV viewers want is quite obvious. All one would have to do is ask one simple question: If 2 F1 races were to be held on the same day, with one race using traditional screaming IC engines and the other using the current "vacuum cleaner/ lawn mower/leaf blower power packs" which one would have the higher attendance? Jean Todt should be replaced and get his head out of his **** instead of force feeding the public with what his preferences are. He is what's wrong with F1."

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4. Posted by Lapps, 13/03/2017 9:14

"And there is no need for a whole rewrite of the Rules. Just add 10% or so to the max fuel flow rate. The current rate does not enable the Teams to even reach the stipulated rev limit (which is a major contributor to the 'lack of noise' problem.) Up the flow rate; and we have more power, more noise, return straight-line speed to last years levels - job done with minimal cost. "

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5. Posted by GrahamG, 12/03/2017 20:24

"Looks like it's heading on down to oblivion
In a couple of years the only people watching will be those with the money and willingness to pay for TV or once a year perhaps pay a huge sum for a poor show at the circuit, because only the people watching on TV will know what's going on.

Glad I've given up, after many years of increasing frustration with people trying to make it a show instead of a competition I didn't watch a single race last year for the first time since it was televised. "

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6. Posted by Yeyox02, 12/03/2017 18:19

"Driverless cars in F1?... what a boring formula would be."

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Maffei doesn't rule out engine change

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