In its efforts to bring down costs and also bring the teams closer to one another in terms of performance, F1 is looking to standardise more components, especially those that outwardly have little relevance for the fans.

Currently the FIA is seeking tenders for a whole range of components for 2021, including brakes and wheels, but when asked about the move, the teams remain as divided as ever.

"First of all, I think it hasn't been decided how much we do standardisation," said Guenther Steiner, "so I think we're getting ahead of ourselves to say that it's been decided for '21.

"I don't know if anyone signed an agreement that it will be standardised," he continued. "A lot of parties looked into it because the tenders went out - but it could go both ways.

"Sometimes you get some parts which work, and sometimes you get parts that everybody's got the same and some people get them to work with their car.

"The worst bit for me, we need to make sure that Formula One keeps its DNA. And the DNA of F1 for me, it's developing... it's the only motorsport that is free for technology. Once you start standardisation, it can be a slippery slope in my opinion. We need to be careful not going down that slope and all of a sudden ending up with all the same cars.

"A lot of people are interested in our technology and that is why they're watching F1. I don't know. First of all, we need to see what is happening with standardisation before I make a final comment how I think about it."

"(We are) very much aligned with Guenther," said Mattia Binotto. "First it's not decided yet, yes, there are some tenders and discussions are on-going. As Ferrari, we always relay that we are against the standardisation principle - but we know as well that we need to control the costs and expenses - and obviously there is a budget cap so we need to find the right balance.

"Standardisation only makes sense if you may save money, which has to be proved first," he added. "And as well we need to take care of the DNA of F1. For example, if we take the rims, all the cars with exactly the same rims - I think that, in terms of aesthetics, is not good for F1 from the outside, because you're not differentiating any more the cars from one car to the other, maybe just the paint. But it's not something we should look at.

"We are going through an entire process, together with the FIA tenders. I think first we should look at the result of the tenders and then to a proper evaluation and make it carefully."

"On our side, having a standard rim is obviously... you know that at the moment each team is designing his own rim and that could make things a bit complicated for us," admitted Pirelli's Mario Isola.

"Sometimes it's difficult to fit a tyre. And heat exchange with the rim is also an item we are able to consider so, for sure, it's a standardisation that could help on our side. The brakes as well."

"F1 was able to do it on the ECU 15 years ago," pointed out Fred Vasseur. "I think that we can manage a situation on the brakes or the rims.

"The only issue, for me, would be the timeline. We need to be aware quite soon, and we need to have more details quite soon about the technical aspects. If we are in a rush then everything is more and more expensive."

"Standardisation of parts, there are two reasons," said Franz Tost, "first to come down with the costs; the second also to bring the performance together of the different teams.

"I don't agree to say the DNA of Formula One is just to develop, we have to find a way to come down with the costs and no-one takes care which brakes we have in the car, or which rims they have.

"The people want to see some interesting races, some overtaking manoeuvres. They don't care about the form of the rims or about the brakes. They just want to see interesting races. And we have to come down with the costs. Therefore I am in agreement with as many standardised parts as possible."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by TokyoAussie, 15/05/2019 3:22

"This parts standardization can be taken too far. Such parts typically don't break, meaning nothing unpredictable can happen with those parts. The more the cars are the same, the more they are dull. In any case, standardized parts only reduce spending on those particular parts, they don't affect the overall spending at all. The money just gets spent on something else."

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2. Posted by nonickname, 14/05/2019 17:57

"Technology will have killed F1 in 5 years.The appetite for combustion engines is finished and most manufacturers will go Fe.Or they will keep a foot in Gt/Enduro racing where you can see the car's heritage"

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3. Posted by Nortim, 14/05/2019 16:32

"It's in DNA this, DNA that, stop with this DNAing everything. It's in Liberty's "DNA" to just grab more money as Bernie did, they know nothing else... Jeeez"

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4. Posted by Canuck, 14/05/2019 15:19

"Fans do not want a one make series in F1. It is not a learning series like F2 and F3. What next? Standard turbos - they are not seen. Standard heads on the motor - they are not seen. Even if we have standard ECU's still has some parameters that are left to each team to program. "

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5. Posted by Max Noble, 14/05/2019 14:39

"The Toyota Camry is all the road car any of us ever need. So why do we buy any other car on the planet? And we can all drink Heineken and wear the same jeans and go Vegan. Job done. Diversity is not encouraged. "

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Teams remain divided on standardisation

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