Is Formula One speeding toward a nasty split?
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It looks as if open-wheel racing is heading toward another great schism. Relax, IndyCar fans, this one doesn’t involve you.
Formula One, the racing series that prides itself on technical innovation and nonstop bickering, took a big leap forward in breaking apart today, with eight teams declaring their intentions to organize and compete in a rival series next year.
While it’s ironic that the teams made this announcement at Silverstone -- the site of the very first Formula One grand prix in 1950 -- it’s not surprising. This isn’t the first time Formula One teams have threatened to jump off Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone‘s love yacht (everything’s fancier in F1), but the issues here seem more serious and numerous than they’ve ever been.
Honda’s decision to leave Formula One last winter instigated a flurry of cost-cutting measures by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) that have been molded into a roughly $140 million budget cap (decreasing to roughly $66 million in 2011). Many teams, including Ferrari, have opposed a spending limit in the series, and despite months of negotiations, the FIA and the teams have not come to an agreement.
Both sides have legitimate issues with the proposals on the table. The teams, which are backed by major manufacturers such as BMW, Toyota and Renault, want to have freedom in the way they spend their money. They also want to have the ability to freely invest in technology.
But the FIA wants to make sure a boardroom decision in Tokyo, Munich or Stuttgart doesn’t lead to the demise of the series. They also want to see privateers enter and compete in the sport (such as the new USF1 team).
I support a budget cap of around $150 million to $175 million, but I realize it would be extremely hard to monitor. Unfortunately, that’s probably too high of a cap for new teams such as USF1 to effectively compete. It seems that if the manufacturers get their way, it’ll be the final death knell for privateer teams in Formula One.
This mess will likely go on for a while. Mosley has a reputation with playing with his prey before devouring it or letting it go. The Formula One Teams Assn. also seems determined to show its fangs in this fight.
Still, all of this wheel-banging likely will be over by the end of the season. Each side depends on the other -- the FIA needs to manufacturer involvement to maintain its profitability and interest and the teams can’t manage and organize a global racing series like Formula One.
-- Austin Knoblauch
