xpb Response to F1 plans for 2021
06.04.2018
D he plans of the Formula 1 management and the FIA are put on paper. The paddock was quiet for three hours. The team bosses shied away from official statements about the future paper. Nobody wanted to start a war. Nobody reveals his position. At the official FIA press conference, Zak Brown from McLaren, Guenther Steiner from Haas and Claire Williams could no longer avoid it. Your comments were consistently positive. No wonder. They would be the beneficiaries of the concept.
Zak Brown praised the fact that Liberty has the fans in mind: And that needs a better show than it is right now. “If the fans win, we all win. The sponsors, the media, the number of viewers in front of the television screens. It should be our collective interest to improve the sport, even if we have to make one or two compromises. '
Claire Williams spoke of' a good day for Williams '. You have always fought for disarmament and hope that the proposals presented will be implemented in this way. Guenther Steiner agreed in principle. “New owners do things differently. We were all aware of this when Liberty bought the store. We see the suggestions as positive throughout. ”And Red Bull Motorsport Director Helmut Marko praised:“ A sensible basis on which one can build. ”
No exclusivity on good ideas
Mercedes wants not be satisfied with the Liberty blueprint. In the opinion of team boss Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda, the paper is only a basis for discussions about the details. First of all, Wolff was conciliatory: “It's good that we now know how Liberty and the FIA envision the future of Formula 1. Some of the ideas are necessary, some are good, and some are very challenging. We first have to understand them in detail. ”
The Austrian does not see Liberty's proposals as something that is already set in stone:“ There is still a long way to go until 2021. We'll talk to Liberty about it. Then we can still decide whether we like it or not. It was a start for negotiations. I thought it was good when Chase Carey said: We don't have the exclusive right to good ideas. ”
In the TV interview with the British broadcaster Sky F1, the Austrian later became a little more specific. When asked what the consequences of the budget cap of 150 million dollars for Mercedes, Wolff said: “ThisNumber cannot be represented. But maybe we can come up with a reasonable number through negotiations. A compromise has to be found. '
The 46-year-old did not want to reveal exactly how much is missing so that Mercedes can stay in Formula 1. Just this much: 'If you look at all the exceptions, the number mentioned doesn't seem that crazy anymore.'
Budget cap for top teams is the biggest hurdle
His Foreign Minister, Niki Lauda, became clearer. The ex-racing driver sees the budget cap of 150 million dollars as the biggest hurdle. “That would mean that we would have to cut a lot of jobs. But we can't fire so many people in such a short time. ”
Lauda sees the Liberty files as the starting signal for further discussions:“ You want to meet with every team now and discuss the proposals in detail. It's good that we now know what we're talking about. ”The next round already has a date. The Formula 1 strategy group will meet on April 17th. Then the war might break out, which is now being kept under the covers.
Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne and FIA president will also be at the meeting Jean Todt will be present. Marchionne kept a low profile. He had promised the F1 management that this time the discussion would take place behind closed doors.
In any case, Lauda sees room for negotiations on all points. With the budget cap as with the engine. Lauda warned again that a new engine would cost the manufacturer 100 million euros in extra development costs.
