Max Mosley has defended his shock news that he favours a common engine era for formula one.

The FIA president told the French sports daily L'Equipe this week that the move, also alongside standard suspensions and gearboxes, would put a lid on costs and also make teams' research more road-relevant.

"F1 should not lose its status for technological excellence," he agrees, "but it has to be investing in useful technologies.

"I know there are those who say it is not the right move, but I am talking about the real world.

"If Volkswagen can buy an engine (for a road car) less expensively (than to build one), they will undoubtedly do that.

"After they put the VW badge on it, it's all the same. This is a reasonable way to view the business.

"Unless we think very seriously about cutting costs, in the next ten years we will be in trouble," Mosley said.

Source: GMM