FIA announces 2010 F1 entry list

Neil Tennant · May 12, 2009

Ferrari 'to quit' over budget row

Ferrari have announced they will quit Formula 1 at the end of the season if the sport continues with plans to adopt a £40m budget cap from 2010.

"No F1 in 2010 if the rules do not change," read a statement. "Ferrari does not intend to register cars for the 2010 F1 world championship."

Ferrari fear the evolution of a two-tier championship, between those teams who adopt the cap and those who do not.

The teams will discuss the plans with FIA chief Max Mosley in the next week.

Mosley, who heads the sport's governing body, has previously insisted F1 could continue without Ferrari, saying: "The sport could survive without Ferrari. It would be very sad. It is the Italian national team."

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, meanwhile, dismissed claims Ferrari could quit F1 on Tuesday morning, telling the Times: "Ferrari are not stupid. They don't want to leave Formula 1 and we don't want to lose them, so we'll get to grips with it."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8044860.stm

Trebor901 · May 12, 2009

oh well, good riddance to them.

Simon Trendell · May 12, 2009

It's not the "two-tier" part that's irritating them though is it?

If the FIA turned round and said all teams have the 40 million cap they'd still be pissed..

Matthew Gutteridge · May 12, 2009

Ferrari is the only F1 team that I don't want to see win, good riddence to bad rubbish

Damian Henderson · May 12, 2009

Sore losers!

Daniel Plaikner · May 12, 2009

Just relax

They will not quit for shure

this is just policy :wink2: they playing theyr cards :rotfl:

Ken Hunter · May 12, 2009

....And if they do quit, it will be F1, that loses the most.

Andrew Evans · May 12, 2009

i don't get the manufacturer teams... they're complaining about a "two-tier" formula 1.... yet, they're perfectly free to accept the budget cap and enjoy the same technical freedoms they seem to be implying would make the sport unfair... if by spending an unlimited amount of money they still can't get onto an even footing... then why not just agree? why spend more AND put yourself at a disadvantage?... :confusticated:

Andreas Hultgren · May 12, 2009

Exacly my thoughts, Andrew :noidea:

Abdul Al-Amry · May 12, 2009

Guys, need some help getting some facts.

Exactly what is this £40m cap. What benefits will McLaren have for instance or Force India?

Andreas Hultgren · May 12, 2009

That is the budget that each team will have to use during the season. Not a dime more. But, you have the option to stay as it is now, unlimited budget, but you will keep having very strict rules to build your car after, something that the budget capped teams will not have. They will have much more freedom in their designs but again, only use those 40mEuros.

Hope I explained it well enough

Ryan Callan · May 12, 2009

There will be no advantage, aside of course from the intelligence of your staff to budget accordingly and correctly and be creative etc.

Perhaps Ferrari don't have the confidence that their ingenuity will get them where their money has?

Abdul Al-Amry · May 12, 2009

Andreas Hultgren said:
That is the budget that each team will have to use during the season. Not a dime more. But, you have the option to stay as it is now, unlimited budget, but you will keep having very strict rules to build your car after, something that the budget capped teams will not have. They will have much more freedom in their designs but again, only use those 40mEuros.

Hope I explained it well enough

Ryan Callan said:
There will be no advantage, aside of course from the intelligence of your staff to budget accordingly and correctly and be creative etc.

Perhaps Ferrari don't have the confidence that their ingenuity will get them where their money has?

I thank you both guys. I see why Ferrari are pissed. They want an unlimited budget but still be free to be creative.

Damian Henderson · May 12, 2009

Abdul Ahmed said:
Guys, need some help getting some facts.

Exactly what is this £40m cap. What benefits will McLaren have for instance or Force India?

From 2010, all teams will have the option to compete with cars built and operated within a stringent cost cap.

The cost cap for 2010 will be £40m per annum*. This figure will cover all team expenditure except:

* Marketing and hospitality;
* Remuneration for test or race drivers, including any young driver programmes;
* Fines or penalties imposed by the FIA;
* Engine costs (for 2010 only);
* Any expenditure which the team can demonstrate has no influence on its performance in the Championship;
* Dividends (including any tax thereon) paid from profits relating to participation in the Championship.

* For the purposes of these Regulations, the financial year is 1 January to 31 December.

A new Costs Commission is being set up to monitor and enforce these cost-cap financial regulations. The Costs Commission will consist of a Chairman and two other Commissioners, appointed by the WMSC for terms of three years.

One Commissioner should be a finance expert and the other should have high level experience in motor sport. The Chairman should have appropriate experience and standing in motor sport or sports governance. All members of the Costs Commission shall be independent of all teams.

In addition to the payments which it already makes to the top ten teams in the Championship, Formula One Management, the commercial rights holder, has agreed to offer participation fees and expenses to the new teams. This includes an annual payment of US$10 million to each team plus free transportation of two chassis and freight up to 10,000 kg in weight (not including the two chassis) as well as 20 air tickets (economy class) for each round trip for events held outside Europe.

To be eligible for this, each new team must qualify as a “Constructor” and demonstrate that it has the necessary facilities, financial resources and technical competence to compete effectively in Formula One.

To enable these cars to compete with those from teams which are not subject to cost constraints, the cost-capped cars will be allowed greater technical freedom.

The principal technical freedoms allowed are:

1. Movable wings, front and rear.
2. An engine which is not subject to a rev limit.

The teams will also be allowed unlimited out-of-season track testing with no restrictions on the scale and speed of wind tunnel testing.

Changes applicable to all teams

It was confirmed that from 2010, refuelling during a race will be forbidden in order to save the costs of transporting refuelling equipment and increase the incentive for engine builders to improve fuel economy (to save weight).

It was also confirmed that tyre blankets will be banned and that the ban on other tyre-heating devices will be maintained.

Daniel Plaikner · May 12, 2009

Its simple

If all Teams have the same money to put in, the danger is that all can build a top car. Thats the fear of Ferrari and they do everything to avoid that this can happen. They would be silly if they don't.

Ferrari want to win it does not matter how much it costs...
So they fear from this Budge limit and play a bit poker now.

If you put 300mios into F1 and another Team only 50mios is clear who has the better chance to build the better car... lol

NOBODY want's to lose this advantage

Bram Hengeveld · May 12, 2009

Lots of threatning lately in F1, pfeeew... I threat to not watch F1 anymore if the threatning continues!

Mark Birney · May 12, 2009

Max Mosley has said it, and rightly so. If they want to quit, they can go ahead. They can't act like a child over it. Ferrari feel that if they leave F1, F1 will fail. I wouldn't like them to leave, but if they want to, they can go ahead. Buh bye!

Richard Kay · May 12, 2009

You've got to look bigger picture on this. Ferrari won't be the only team not to sign up to these regulations. The closing date for entries is the 29th of this month and so far no team has signed up.

What's going on here is a struggle for control of the regulations between the FIA and FOTA. As far as I know the FOTA teams (which is all of them) are unanimous in rejection of a two-tier championship and I doubt any team will sign-up to the currently proposed regulations. They'll call the FIA's bluff and the FIA will have to compromise with them. Ferrari and FOTA will win this round, mark my words, the FIA are already in breach of the "special agreement" which they made with Ferrari. No sign ups and a legal case would destroy the FIA as it stands.

As someone has already succinctly put it, it's a poker game and FOTA will call the searching bet from the FIA forcing an embarassing fold. There will be more financial restraints but we won't see a budget cap until 2012. I'd even put it out there that KERS won't be mandatory next year as planned.

Neil Gault · May 13, 2009

Renault join F1 pull-out threat

Looks like the manufactures are sticking together with this threat

Renault are the latest high-profile team threatening to quit Formula 1 unless proposals to adopt a £40m budget cap in 2010 are shelved.
On Tuesday, Ferrari joined Toyota and Red Bull in declaring their intention to pull out of F1 because of the plans.
And Renault boss Flavio Briatore said: "If the decisions are not revised, we have no choice but to withdraw from the world championship at the end of 2009."
Ferrari, meanwhile, say they will race in other series if they quit the sport.
"If it really was like that, then I have to say that our cars will race in other competitions, where - and I am absolutely convinced about that - they will find the enthusiasm and the passion of millions of fans," said Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo. "Racing is part of Ferrari's DNA and this is something that will never change."

Reports have speculated that the Italian team might set up a rival series, compete in the United States, or enter cars in the Le Mans 24 hour race.
And Ferrari driver Felipe Massa insists the team would make a success of a change of series, saying: "Since I was a child, Ferrari has been the synonym for racing for me.
"That's why I'm convinced that even if the Scuderia is forced to leave F1, there will be other competitions where it will be possible to admire the Reds on the track.
"I understand why the company has got to this point. The idea of having a championship with two velocities, with cars, which for example are allowed to have flexible wings or an engine without a rev limiter, is absurd."
The FIA, the sport's governing body, want an optional £40m budget cap in order to encourage new teams to enter. The plan would allow capped teams to operate with far greater technical freedom than those continuing with unlimited budgets.

However, big teams fear the rules will effectively split F1 into two tiers, those that can live with the cap and enjoy the technical advantages and those that cannot.
It is understood a flexible rear wing alone, currently outlawed but available to a team next season working within the cap, could lead to a car being two seconds per lap quicker than those without.
"Renault has always considered Formula One as the pinnacle of motor sport and the perfect stage to demonstrate technical excellence," Renault F1 team president Bernard Rey said in a statement. "We remain committed to the sport.
"However, we cannot be involved in a championship operating with different sets of rules and, if such rules are put into effect, we will be forced to pull out at the end of this season." The FIA refused to be drawn into a public discussion following Ferrari's threat to quit the sport.

"We have nothing to add to the letter sent to Ferrari on 29 April," said an FIA spokesman, referring to a letter sent to Montezemolo in which FIA president Max Mosley rejected the team's complaints about the budget cap.
However, it is thought the teams will discuss the plans with Mosley in London on Friday.
And sure to also be on the agenda is the teams' apparent unhappiness at what they see as the FIA's failure to discuss the rule changes with all the teams.
The Renault statement continued: "There is frustration FOTA's (Formula One Teams' Association) constructive proposals, including major cost-saving measures to be adopted progressively between 2009 and 2012, which were carefully constructed by FOTA members, have been completely ignored without any form of consultation by the FIA with the teams. "It should be stressed that FOTA has set the same, if not lower, financial objective as the FIA but Renault strongly believes that this must be introduced through a different procedure agreed by all parties.

"Renault also believes it is paramount that the governance of the sport is co-ordinated with a spirit of consultation with all parties in order to achieve a better balance between the costs and the revenues.
"Renault is also of the firm view that all entrants in the world championship must adhere to and operate under the same regulations."
BBC F1 correspondent David Croft reports that Renault's announcement underlines the unhappiness felt by the teams surrounding the proposal.
"Whilst not on the scale of the Ferrari announcement yesterday, this is another indication of just how deep the dissatisfaction runs currently within the F1 teams - not just of the proposals but the way they've been introduced," he said. "The entries for next season open on 22 May and lasts for seven days - as it stands, Renault, Ferrari, Red Bull and Toyota could all be missing when the season begins next March."