Customer cars are no good idea - Theissen

Scuderia Toro Rosso and Super Aguri intend using Red Bull Racing and Honda chassis respectively next year. BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen, however, takes a sceptical point of view when it comes to selling chassis to customer teams.

"I don't think it's a good idea to sell chassis to a second team," Theissen told the British media. "The orginal idea was to help smaller teams to become competitive in F1. That is a good approach and it would certainly help them if they can buy a chassis instead of having to employ 300 people to design and build it."

However, the German is convinced that this move might change the characteristics of the independent teams. "Today we have independent teams who want to be competitive, who see themselfs as one of the 12 teams on the grid, who fight for their own success. With the sale of chassis, I think we will very soon have six-plus-six teams - or six teams with four cars each."

Theissen warns that all the manufacturers might think about supplying a second team with its chassis. This way, an automobile group could control four cars with three of them supporting the best driver. "Having just four or five big players controlling the grid in our view would not be F1 any more," the BMW Motorsport Director concluded.