BERLIN – The future of Formula One racing sees a key meeting on
Tuesday in London between all parties involved, and a revolution of
the sport is possible to make it cheaper, simpler and more exciting.
The ruling body FIA, the Formula One Group and the 10 teams will get
together for key decisions at a time in which the expensive
high-speed sport is more and more questioned.
FIA boss Jean Todt said at the season-opening race in Australia that
a spending cap will come along with new regulations for the cars and
engines, and a new distribution of income.
"We should be in a position to have a finalised package to discuss
with the teams on March 26," he said.
The new rules are to apply from 2021 onwards after the latest
agreement expires after the 2020 season. An agreement must be reached
by June.
Major changes appear necessary in the business where the top teams
Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull teams splash out hundreds of millions
of dollars and cars consume huge fuel loads in races with little
action.
Cost-cutting, more competition and action on the race course are
necessary along with modern technology to become more environmentally
friendly.
After all, in the key market of Germany a YouGov survey commissioned
by dpa revealed that 47 per cent believe F1 has served its time and
only 36 per cent it still has a place in the current general climate.
There are also concerns elsewhere which is bad news for the sport
which is set to celebrate its 1,000th grand prix on April 14 in
Shanghai since the 1950 debut.
But the former Ferrari team principal Todt insists that the wind of
change is blowing much stronger lately than in previous years.
The big spending of the three top teams has seen them move far ahead
in the pecking order, with smaller teams not able to close the gap.
The spending cap and the new regulations are to help end this
disparity because it would mainly hit the top teams - but it remains
to be seen whether the big three will consent.
Formula One Group boss Chase Carey admits that there are "10
opinions" when it comes to details but also said that "we have made
good progress" in the talks.
The FIA already has a clean alternative in the fully electrical
Formula E which has city races in places like Hong Kong, New York,
Rome, Paris and Berlin.
But some in F1 say that power plants generating the electricity don't
operate clean either, and Mercedes motorsport chief Toto Wolff named
F1's developments of highly efficient engines very important for
serial production.
Wolff has also said that there are worse environmental areas than F1
but knows from first-hand experience how important these issues have
become - revealing that the two children from his first marriage
skipped school recently to join the "Fridays for Future" protests.