F1 News
Date:
22/September/2013
F1 teams ‘screwed up’ their chance to negotiate a fairer
distribution of prize money, while efforts to control costs have also come to
nothing because of ‘self-interest’.
That is the opinion of Caterham boss Tony Fernandes and
supported by other team principals from outside of the big four - Red Bull,
Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes.
Costs will rise significantly in F1 next season due to the
development of new engines - the price will double according to Toro Rosso’s Franz
Tost - increasing the frustration felt by the likes of Fernandes.
“I’ve been consistent since day one I’ve been in Formula One
that costs are too high,” said Malaysian businessman Fernandes, who owns an
airline, hotel chain and British football team in addition to Caterham.
“When I came into Formula One, people talked to me about
costs coming down but I don’t think there’s been a single year it’s come down.
I think next year will be probably the highest year – so I think there’s
something fundamentally wrong.
“I don’t think it’s just the engine, by the way, I think the
teams lost out an opportunity to get costs under control. I think self-interest
overrode the sport and we are as much to blame for this problem as an engine.”
The rising costs could at least have been eased if more
money generated by the sport was re-distributed to the competitors.
Fernandes stated that teams threw away the chance to
negotiate more prize money from the commercial rights holder when some top
teams split from the Formula One Teams’ Association (FOTA) and cut their own
deals with Bernie Ecclestone.
“The teams had a wonderful opportunity to try and create a
fair, equitable split so that the sport is sustainable,” said Fernandes,
speaking at this weekend’s Singapore night race.
“I’m obviously in another sport [football] where I think the
difference between the top and the bottom is not as great as between the top
and the bottom in Formula One. If you look at the Premier League, the winner of
the Premier League’s share of prize [money] versus the team at the bottom is
not as spread out.
“Teams looked at things on an individual basis as opposed to
working together in FOTA and trying to find a win-win situation for everyone
and create a very healthy environment in a sustainable sport.
“We screwed it up, it’s as simple as that.”
That verdict was backed Force India’s Bob Fearnley, who felt
‘greed’ by the top teams caused the collapse.
“I tend to agree with Tony. I think we’ve had wonderful
opportunities and we’ve collectively failed to be able to bring the deals
together,” he said. “There’s a certain amount of greed comes in from the top
teams as well and I think they have to take some of the responsibility for
that.”
“There were loads and loads of meetings, loads and loads of
proposals but at the end of the day, some teams decided to split and when that
happens, it’s a divide and rule situation and the whole thing falls apart,”
stated Tost. “One by one, people decided to do their own thing.”
Lotus team boss Eric Boullier confirmed teams “clearly
missed the opportunity” while Claire Williams, daughter of team founder Frank, admitted
“We’re all too competitive.”
With the teams unable to reach agreement, one possibility is
that the sport’s governing body, the FIA, could step in and enforce some spending
limits.
Fernandes felt such a move should not be needed.
“If we all sat together and agreed something, we wouldn’t
need anyone to police it. The reality is we can’t,” said Fernandes. “If 12
people [team bosses] in a room can’t agree something, then that sounds fairly
ridiculous.”
Tost made clear he doesn’t want the role of the FIA to
expand into financial areas.
“For me, the FIA should not be involved in financial topics.
The FIA can come up with [technical] regulations which help the teams to cut costs,
but then it’s obviously up to the teams [how] to spend the money they have.
“It’s about the discipline within the teams. Sometimes we
decide by ourselves to spend money for nothing, as with [increasing] testing.”
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