Mosley has been espousing this for quite a while now, what with energy recovering systems and standard ECU’s coming in soon, but the latest revelations by F1 Racing and Autosport of a document reportedly circulated to current carmakers in Formula 1 as well as possible new entrants like Ford and Audi get down to specifics.

The document reportedly focuses on new drive-train concepts for 2011 onwards and once agreement has been reached on these, new technical and sporting regulations could be hung from them.

The drive-train concepts to be discussed in a series of meetings between the FIA (Mosley, in other words) and manufacturers in the next few months and years make provision for 2.2-litre V6 turbo-bio-fuel engines that develop less than 800bhp, are rev-limited to 10 000rpm, have a 13-second power-boost ability and last for five grand prix weekends, while traction control — despite the fact that it is banned from next year — and four-wheel drive are also to be considered.

Mosley is quoted thus: "We are in active discussions with the major manufacturers to ensure that in future, research and development relevant only to Formula 1 will be discouraged, whereas that which has relevance to road car development will be encouraged."

And further: "We will work closely with them to ensure that, in particular, the new environmentally relevant technologies that many of them are developing are made our priority.

"Whilst aiming to achieve these goals we will ensure that the sporting spectacle of F1 remains the same or is even improved by the new developments."

According to Autosport the document makes it clear other developments on the car will be "severely constrained".

So, what to say about all of this?

Firstly, we will have to get used to the idea of eco-friendly technology becoming part of the sport. In the current climate (no pun intended) Formula 1 simply can’t be seen to be out of step with concerns about the future of Planet Earth. And Mosley is right: carmakers currently in the sport are only likely to remain — thus avoiding the danger of them withdrawing and leaving F1 in the lurch — if technological requirements in the sport are closer aligned to what their R & D departments are doing anyway.

Secondly, however, the FIA and the carmakers will have to find a way of not losing some of the central attractions of Formula 1 in the process: the incredible speed and handling of the cars and the sound of high-revving engines.

There is quite simply nothing on earth like the sound of an F1 engine running at close to 20 000rpm. I cannot imagine a car with a little 2.2-litre V6 whispering past at only 10 000rpm coming even close.

Four-wheel drive will likely also take away some of the spectacle, especially if traction control is also allowed back. How can a sport that is essentially a battle between individuals take away even more from the driver, thus rendering his input virtually negligible?

Ideally the balance between driver input and technology should be 50:50, but with some of these suggestions, like in the bad old days of the early '90s, that balance will swing more towards 5:95 in favour of technology.

The carmakers don't care about this, of course, because for them Formula 1 is nothing other than a marketing exercise and, more so if the above comes to pass, a test bed. They are not in it for the sport.

Thus it is up to Mosley to ensure balance. If he persists with these ideas to appease the manufacturers the sport will lose most, if not all, of its wow factor. And that will make a mockery of his intention to "ensure that the sporting spectacle of F1 remains the same or is even improved by the new developments".

Come on, Max, don’t do this to our sport.

And for heaven’s sake, can someone please come up with a way of getting a diesel to rev to 19 000rpm?