Todt sees benefits to technical 'unification' of F1 and WEC

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FIA president Jean Todt believes common technical ground between F1 and sportscar racing would help sustain manufacturer involvement in both series.

Todt paid the World Endurance Championship a visit last weekend for its first round which took place at Spa and saw Toyota and Fernando Alonso take top spoils.

The president of motorsport's governing body would love to see a form of unification take place between the top two categories of racing, insisting the idea would promote manufacturer presence across both series.

"It would be ideal to achieve some unification, but in practice this is not easy," said Todt.

"Ideas appear but it's more difficult when you start to get into the details.

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"At the moment in Formula 1 we are discussing the number of carmakers in the championship," he said.

"Right now we have four but we want to guarantee that they stay. And it's difficult to do that if they only work with one team or two."

Common technical interests linking F1 and endurance racing would likely sustain current manufacturer involvement and promote additional participation according to the Frenchman.

Practically however, the concept would be a complicated one to put in place, he admits.

"If it was possible to supply their products to other racing series, the project becomes more feasible.

"But immediately a number of problems appear. In principle we are happy to think about this topic, but in reality everything is not so simple," Todt added.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.