The teams are preparing for a major development war as they try to improve their new cars for the 2022 Formula 1 season, and they will have to be careful when evaluating their expenses not to exceed the limit of 140 million dollars (about 127 million euros). euros).
However, some teams face the reality that this limit means they won’t be able to incorporate all the improvements they would like, so there are fears that one of them will try to find a way to exploit the spending rules, in order to finance car development.
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto says F1 has to ensure that no one can break the cost cap, as that could be decisive in the fight for the championship.
“[The budget cap] will influence the pace of development,” he said after watching Charles Leclerc maintain his lead in the drivers’ standings after the Saudi Grand Prix.
“I think it’s a key element and my concern is that we need to make sure that we have proper control over that because it may be, let me say, a game changer in the development fight.”
Ahead of the weekend, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said teams were going to have to be much more strategic with their improvement plans.
“I think almost every team is pretty close to the edge this year,” he said. “It’s very aggressive, so you have to be very strategic in how you apply the funds you have to development.”
“I think rather than just going as fast as possible and getting the most out of the car, you have to be much more selective in what you choose, based on cost. That drives efficiency.”
Binotto’s comments come on the heels of similar statements from F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali , who says he has two concerns about applying the 2022 budget cap.
“The first is control, because if something escapes those who have to regulate it, the entire system collapses,” he said.
“Today it is not enough to control only the technical part, but strict financial control is also necessary, and that is why the FIA is equipping itself to be even more robust in its role as a watchdog.”
“The second point is related to some variables that were difficult to predict at the time of the launch of the financial regulation.”
“Inflation is going in an unpredictable direction, and transport costs have also risen in recent weeks in a way that is difficult to predict.”
“There will be debates to find the right solutions, but always keeping in the center the principle that we must guarantee that everyone has the same possibilities,” he concluded.
