Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug has insisted that the beleaguered Formula One Teams' Association remains "absolutely vital" to the future of the sport, despite losing the membership of Red Bull Racing and Ferrari last week.
Both Red Bull and Ferrari announced their plans to quit FOTA last week, and will officially leave in early February after serving their notice period.
The loss of two of F1's biggest teams, as well as the continued self-imposed exile of HRT from the organisation has left FOTA containing only nine of F1's teams.
Some have suggested that there is little point in an organisation designed to provide a 'united front' for teams continuing with only three quarters of the grid involved.
But Haug has insisted that the team alliance remains a "vital" part of the sport, despite the loss of the two squads.
"I think it is absolutely vital that FOTA is existing," the German was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency in a telephone interview on Monday.
"The aims that we are having, the targets, are very important and I think it is up to the so-called top teams to really balance it out."
The main reason for RBR and Ferrari leaving appears to be the ongoing disagreements over the future of the cost-cutting Resource Restriction Agreement.
The future of the RRA remains unclear, though both departing FOTA members have said that they remain committed to helping the other teams find a solution.
And Nick Fry, the CEO of the Mercedes F1 team, said that it was still important for FOTA to push on with their cost-cutting efforts.
"It's obviously quite a difficult time at the moment and clearly we are very supportive of cost control in Formula One," he smiled.
"It's a difficult thing to achieve when everyone is so competitive but we certainly will work with others to try and fulfill the aim of an RRA."
He added that the loss of two major teams was a "bump in the road" for the organisation, but he said that he was sure that there was a way to salvage the situation.
"I think even though Ferrari have withdrawn at the moment they also are intent on finding a solution to [the RRA issue]," he mused.
"We've certainly hit a bump in the road but I believe that work will continue in the background to try and resolve this and we will do whatever we can to support that."
Meanwhile, the Autosport website reported on Monday that the remaining nine FOTA members are set to discuss the future of the alliance later this week.
The report suggested that representatives from the nine teams will meet on Tuesday to discuss the next step forward for FOTA.
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