Customer cars could return to Formula One in the near future, after reports from the Indian Grand Prix weekend suggested that matter of 'intellectual property sharing' will be debated at the next meeting of the Formula One Commission.
According to reports from the Buddh Circuit paddock, the next commission meeting will discuss the "definition of a constructor" as well as the extent to which teams are allowed to share resources with other teams.
The move follows the proliferation of technical link-ups on the current F1 grid, with McLaren establishing partnerships with both Force India and Virgin Racing.
And the November 3rd meeting will also see the matter of customer cars return to the agenda, an issue that has divided the paddock in the past.
Customer cars were banned from Formula One during the last decade, after teams such as Toro Rosso and Super Aguri had entered the sport with customer chassis from other teams.
Since the ban, Ferrari have been vocal in their desire to see customer cars return, saying that they would like to see small teams run third cars for the sport's big constructors.
And reports are now suggesting that Bernie Ecclestone is now supportive of a plan to allow big teams to sell on old cars to smaller teams.
Furthermore, Ferrari will likely argue that there would be no real difference between chassis-selling and the current extensive technical deals already in place.
However, both Red Bull Racing or McLaren are thought to be against the customer car plans.
"We don't think customer cars are the right way to go," Whitmarsh was quoted as saying by the Autosport website on Sunday.
"If you allow customer cars, then there would be a customer Red Bull, a customer McLaren, a customer Ferrari, and maybe a customer Mercedes – and that is quite tough on some of the other teams."
He added that the sport should instead be working to make itself "sustainable" for the current set of twelve teams.
"We have 12 entrants at the moment and what we should be concentrating on is developing a viable business model of sustainable budgets for 12 teams," he rambled.
"That is a healthier and better way to go, but that is my opinion. I respect others have a different view."
The customer car debate could well add to the pressures on the Formula One Teams' Association, which is already deeply divided over the future of the Resource Restriction Agreement.
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