Monte Carlo (AFP) – It’s about money. Some in Formula 1 want to spend more than is currently allowed. That’s about 130 million euros.
Others don’t even get that much and have to make ends meet. In Doomsday Forecast (“The Daily Mail”), Christian Horner of wealthy Red Bull Racing predicted a truly bleak scenario for teams with the least full coffers.
Because it’s not only about money but also about the World Cup. And because of the new cars, this year’s battle is more than just a development race. Car improvement costs money. However, no more than 130 million euros may be spent. According to reports, Horner’s initiative is being backed by Ferrari and Mercedes – they are fighting for the title like Red Bull. In addition, McLaren is also in favor of an early solution, “because of course time is running out,” German team boss Andreas Seidl confirmed to Sky Sports News.
Higher freight and electricity costs
Horner is known for “sometimes bringing it all in black and white.” But it’s also a huge challenge for McLaren. Regarding “explosive costs”, Seidl referred above all to freight and electricity expenses. According to Horner, the cost of transportation alone – and that’s at 22 races worldwide – has quadrupled. That’s why Horner predicted on the BBC: “Maybe seven teams will have to skip the last four races in order to meet the budget limit.”
Haas is one of the teams Horner fears the worst. The racing team, which is completing its second Formula One season, was one of those who, along with Albin, Alfa Romeo and Williams, voted against the budget cap being revised due to high inflation.
“I don’t have a choice to tell my boss that I can’t make it to the end of the season,” Haas boss Gunther Steiner said in Monte Carlo. The 57-year-old emphasized that you should start saving money now. “As an entrepreneur, you just have to make it by the end of the year,” said Steiner, who claims to have identified the first effects of the spending limit on sporting events.
Discussion about budget ceiling
“It shows up in midfield,” Steiner said. “We never know who is better than the rest.” This is good for racing. It also assumes that the gap between the top teams will narrow if Formula 1 remains consistent in terms of spending limits. How great the big teams really would be if two, three, seven or eight racing teams weren’t suddenly fighting for victories and the podium – one could speculate.
The budget limit in the first class of expensive cars has been discussed for a long time. The upper limit was introduced last season. The equivalent of about 135 million euros was allowed. After 130 million for this year, it will be about 125 million in 2023.
For Aston Martin boss Mike Krake, opponents of a raise are all about “limiting further development of the competition. It’s a strategic train of thought because their costs are higher, too.” But he said they might not have the means to take advantage of the cap increase. An assumption that Steiner’s statement certainly does not invalidate: “Our problem is not the budget ceiling. Our problem is the budget.” So drive and save!