by Michael Hogg

Created on: February 19, 2009   Last Updated: February 26, 2009

Hear me out on this one. Yes, the "Should Formula 1 switch to a single engine format" debate has polarised fans almost entirely into the "No! Oh my God, No!" camp and I'll admit, I actually don't like the idea. So before I try and qualify what I'm going to write, be aware that while I'm writing on the side of "Yes", it doesn't mean I actually like the fact that it should. Clear as mud? Ok, let's muddle on.

Formula One is where it's at as far as motorsport history is concerned. The great battles, the bitter rivalries, the best tracks in the world and of course - the development of technology and the pushing of the boundaries of what's possible. Over the decades things have changed and as far as engine developments have been concerned, the size, turbochargers etc., have come and gone. It's what we grew up with. It's what we all love.

And unless we accept the fact that things need to change for the time being, we might lose it all. The sport is currently sitting on the edge of a massive crisis which might see its decades-old history coming to an abrupt and sad end.

It doesn't take a genius to see that the world is in economic meltdown at the moment. Every level of business all over the globe is in trouble and they all need to find ways to cut back and survive. That includes the car manufacturers and the big money sponsors. The car manufacturers who make up the majority of the grid need to make difficult savings. This has led to job losses and factory closures, plus it means that "extra" promotional activities such as Formula One need to either be dropped (as per Honda's off season bombshell, as they left the sport entirely and the alleged vote at Mercedes which only just went in favour of staying in the sport and keeping McLaren alive) or scaled back. This is a deep recession, and if more of the teams aren't to follow Honda out the door, big savings need to be made.

One option for doing that is the single engine format. It's not a popular option among the fans, the teams or the engine manufacturers themselves, let's face it - is a Ferrari Renault ever a likely prospect? Not really, but people maybe need to think with their heads as well as their hearts - is a short term measure to see the teams through the rough times before returning to the money-no-object cut and thrust returns in the future preferable to the death of Formula 1 altogether? I personally think so - there are difficult decisions for everyone everywhere in the next couple of years and F1 is no exception.

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