FLOYD ON F1: Expansions efforts face a red flag

It is difficult to understand the FIA and Formula One Management’s ambition to attract more manufacturers to F1.

The cost cap was introduced to reduce expenditure and level the playing fields between teams. An admirable aim, but yet to prove its objective.

Many of the mid-field teams have pointed out that Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari had enjoyed many years prior to the budget restrictions to develop and establish full research facilities, including their own wind tunnels. But this is almost impossible for other teams to emulate due to the cost cap. It is very difficult to catch up, let alone challenge the current championship leaders.

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F1 cost cap

Those in such a situation have already requested a resolution to realise the true objective of the cost cap. As for encouraging new manufacturers to the fold, the latest technical directive (TD) from the governing body appears to be more likely to deter them.

TD45 is set to control the so called “non-F1 activities” of those teams also involved in the design of road cars, boats and even bicycles. The apparent risk being that personnel involved in F1 can be transferred to such alternative projects. Then it would no longer be assessed as falling under the budget cap. Those under investigation appear to be the current top-four constructor’s championship contenders.

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Motorsport.com indicated the new TD means that any intellectual property developed by one of these satellite organisations and then used in F1, must be accounted for under the cost cap.

Horner worried

Red Bull F1 team chief Christian Horner raised concerns that many have not considered a consequence of such ruling.

In a recent interview, Horner is reported as saying: “You have to make sure it’s not a race to the bottom.

“The problem is you have long-standing personnel. They contributed a significant amount that you don’t want to see forced out of their roles because of the cap. Just because you can justify 10 youngsters versus an experienced hand.

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“That’s the constant debate that you have, and where we’ve had redundancies through the cap. Jayne Poole, ex-Red Bull chief operating officer and HR director, was one of those as well. She was a redundancy that we made because we couldn’t justify a role within the cap.”

Not a great incentive for the F1 industry…