The F1 can't seem to get its story straight:

A month after proposing low-tech rules for 2008, Mosley said he now wanted to allow cutting-edge technology from that year.

His views are said to have been altered by a survey of F1 fans carried out by the FIA, the sport’s governing body. In the survey, 80 per cent agreed that advanced technology set F1 apart from other motor sports, and 64 per cent said they looked forward to technological innovations each season.

In a letter sent to the F1 teams and made public on Wednesday, Mosley asked the teams to consider the "technology/cost issue" and what should be permitted in future.

Mosley said that the FIA's preliminary view was that "technology which helps the driver to control the car... has no place in F1, which should remain a supreme test of drivers skill.

F1 is almost unique among sports in the degree to which it has to balance technology enhancements and the integrity of the sport. The auto manufacturers like to use F1 as a lab to try out the latest-greatest stuff, on the chance that some of it will be adapted for commercial use. But the sport has accelerated into a technology war, which means more money = more performance, and this has raised concerns about fairness and competitiveness and thus the overall fan experience.

One problem Mosely may find is what economists call revealed preference. While fans 'say' they want more technology in certain areas, they alweays want exciting, competitive racing. So what they say and how they actually feel may be two different things.