Mosley blames Ferrari's rivals for 'rubbish job'

World motorsport head Max Mosley defended Formula One champions Ferrari and Michael Schumacher this week against accusations that their dominance was suffocating the sport.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) president suggested instead that rival teams posed more of a threat through their failure to beat the winners of the last six constructors' championships.

"I would not say that they (Ferrari) are killing the sport," he said in London before the season starts in Australia on March 6.

"What I would say is that Williams and McLaren, and to a lesser extent Renault and BAR, are killing the sport because they are doing a rubbish job.

"That's the truth of it. It's not up to Ferrari to lose, it's up to the others to win and all they've got to do is catch up," he added.

Michael Schumacher has won the last five drivers' titles and the German is chasing an unprecedented eighth crown this year at the age of 36.

But Ferrari have been strongly criticised over the years for failing to let their two drivers race each other freely, with Schumacher clearly enjoying number one status.

Former champions Williams and McLaren finished fourth and fifth respectively last year.

Ferrari are at odds with the other nine teams over cost-cutting proposals and the sport's commercial future at a time of open power struggle between Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and carmakers.

The Italian team broke with the other carmakers last month in abandoning plans for a rival series and agreeing to extend an existing commercial agreement with the FIA and Ecclestone.

Another F1 team in takeover talks

Formula One could see another independent team change ownership after the recent takeovers of Jordan and Jaguar, Max Mosley said.

Jordan were bought by the Midland Group of Russian-born Canadian businessman Alex Shnaider last month while Red Bull purchased Jaguar from Ford in November and changed the name.

Asked about the chance of new manufacturers coming into the sport with their own teams, Mosley said: "I think they will be watching Toyota very carefully. If Toyota start to succeed in the next year or two, I think that might encourage one or two others to come."