Dennis says teams must be heard on cost cuts

Formula One teams are united in seeking to cut costs but they will not be dictated to, McLaren boss Ron Dennis has said ahead of a meeting with the sport's governing body on Tuesday.

The Briton was disappointed that the International Automobile Federation (FIA) had pre-empted the meeting by announcing last week that it intended to change the rules to force teams to use a standard engine from 2010.

The teams met late into Saturday night at the Chinese Grand Prix so they would be able to present unanimously agreed cost-cutting proposals at the meeting with FIA president Max Mosley in Geneva.

"That document was going to go forward on Tuesday and we were disappointed to agree a timing and then be given a concept that was obviously quite radical,"the McLaren team principal told reporters.

"I take great exception to being portrayed as people who can't look after their own destinies and need to be told what they're going to do," he added.

"It's not the way forward because it brings out the worst in people, not the best in people.

"We embrace all ideas but ultimately the team feels strongly that if they have a unanimous agreement on the direction they wish to go ... they should have a very strong right for our opinions and wishes to be taken into consideration."

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Dennis said that getting unanimity among the fiercely competitive teams had not been easy in the past but the worsening economic climate had focused minds.

"The situation facing Formula One at the moment can only temper those who were once intransigent, they've become far more flexible looking at the bigger picture," he said.

"I think that applies to the smaller teams, they have to move towards the centre, the bigger teams have to move towards the centre."

The FIA has argued that the costs of Formula One are unsustainable given the current economic situation and must be slashed to ensure none of the 10 teams leave the sport.

Independent teams such as Toro Rosso and Force India, who do not produce engines, welcomed the FIA's position but the car manufacturers -- McLaren's partners Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault, BMW, Honda and Toyota -- are less keen on it.

Dennis described the newly-formed Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) as "critical" to the future of the sport but said other stakeholders should not be concerned.

"We are strong and together but not a threat, we are looking to be constructive to Formula One," he said.

"We don't have any motive but to address the issues we had six months ago and the issues that we now have starting to emerge from a very difficult economic situation which has yet to really impact on Formula One."