F1 Teams to get technical freedom in exchange for $30m cost cap

[Suka]

The FIA has announced that from 2010, teams will be allowed more technical freedom if they agree to a cost cap of $30million, to cover ‘expenditure of any kind’. Teams will also be free to instead continue running under the existing rules, which are to remain stable until 2012.

The teams that accept the cost cap will be granted technical freedoms in three main areas: a more aerodynamically efficient (but standard) under body; movable wings; and an engine which is not subject to a rev limit or a development freeze.

To ensure that the cost-capped cars have neither an advantage nor a disadvantage when compared to cars running to the existing rules, the FIA will retain the right to adjust elements of these freedoms.

The FIA says the move provides, in essence, a choice between (i) the current freedom to spend and continued adherence to the existing technical constraints and (ii) a new degree of freedom to innovate technically but with a severely restricted budget.

According to the FIA, the aim is to make it easier for new teams to enter and also allow existing teams to participate on much reduced budgets should they so choose.

Teams to get technical freedom in exchange for $30m cost cap (http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/3/9025.html)

This sounds like a very interesting idea. Garden shed engineering? Cheap development for massive performance gain...

[fpv_gtho]

I cant see the established teams going that route. Effectively their current system at least gives them a certain level of knowns. The budget cap teams will likely have the goal posts moved on them every couple of races .

[lightweight]

I really like the new proposal set forth by the FIA.

I really think that all teams must adhere to the budget cap. It shows that F1 is contemporary and efficient, not the slow moving dinosaur-manufacturers spending millions of dollars on useless things such as lighter paint..

I don't see the reason for which there should be the option between budget cap or not. Everyone must adhere to the cap in my opinion. As far as top teams are concerned, only the drivers salaries are more than the budget cap, so I don't see them opting for the cap.

Exciting news from the F1 front...

[henk4]

This will result in a new field of creative bookkeeping....

[teatako]

This will result in a new field of creative bookkeeping....

This.

As long as this budget cap does not jeopardise the drivers, team and spectators´ safety, I´m not opposed to the idea.

[reg]

I worked at Repco Brabham/Repco Engine Developments in my early 20s and although a great deal of surperb work was done on the drawing board quite a bit of the really creative work was done by old school cut, drill, grind, weld, hit, miss, test and then drawn if it worked. I feel a budget cap is the best way to go as it would enhance true real world innovation and make the compertition/racing much more of a spectical.
regards
Reg

[f6fhellcat13]

I think that fpv_gtho and henk are correct. The major/richer teams will either adamantly oppose this or adopt some creative new form of record keeping.
Though the idea of a de-limited (but it seems, no unlimited) appeals greatly to me, I don't think that it will either be instated or be instated effectively.

[2ndclasscitizen]

The budget cap teams will likely have the goal posts moved on them every couple of races .

Bingo. As soon as someone on the cap comes up with something revolutionary that works really well it'll get stomped on and banned.

[fpv_gtho]

I really like the new proposal set forth by the FIA.

I really think that all teams must adhere to the budget cap. It shows that F1 is contemporary and efficient, not the slow moving dinosaur-manufacturers spending millions of dollars on useless things such as lighter paint..

I don't see the reason for which there should be the option between budget cap or not. Everyone must adhere to the cap in my opinion. As far as top teams are concerned, only the drivers salaries are more than the budget cap, so I don't see them opting for the cap.

Exciting news from the F1 front...


The FIA doesnt have the power under EU legislation to mandate a budget cap. Thats why this is voluntary, with the allowance for more technology as bait.

[nopassn]

Budget capped teams won't have enough money to try and radical and cool shit, me thinks.

[Zytek_Fan]

Budget capped teams won't have enough money to try and radical and cool shit, me thinks.

$30 million is far too slim.

$90 million is provides more freedom.

[Ferrer]

Budget capped teams won't have enough money to try and radical and cool shit, me thinks.
Well precisely, won't the budget cap make teams think outside the box isntead of spending more money to improve some tenths of a second?

As far as the spending could be controled I'm for it.

[henk4]

Well precisely, won't the budget cap make teams think outside the box isntead of spending more money to improve some tenths of a second?

As far as the spending could be controled I'm for it.
I think some teams already started thinking outside the box and got warned by FIA that they are working outside the "spirit" of the regulations.

[Zytek_Fan]

I think some teams already started thinking outside the box and got warned by FIA that they are working outside the "spirit" of the regulations.

This.

[culver]

This will result in a new field of creative bookkeeping....

I agree. On one hand I like the idea as I strongly suspect with and honest $30m and a loose rule book it would be quite possible to turn faster laps than the current cars with no loss in safety.

The problem is what is covered under that $30m? How do we make sure say Ferrari doesn't start spending big bucks on "other" race R&D. The NFL did a great job with team salary caps. The caps did a great job of leveling the playing field and making "budget" a factor when building a team. It would be very interesting to see the same thing applied in F1. Now you would have to trade off say a bit of weight in a part to make it cost $5k less.

Of course, it's easy to see how much an NFL team pays it's players. It's much harder to figure out how much a team really spent on a race season. If, and this is a big if, they can figure out how to make this work I think it will be great.

[henk4]

I agree. On one hand I like the idea as I strongly suspect with and honest $30m and a loose rule book it would be quite possible to turn faster laps than the current cars with no loss in safety.

The problem is what is covered under that $30m? How do we make sure say Ferrari doesn't start spending big bucks on "other" race R&D. The NFL did a great job with team salary caps. The caps did a great job of leveling the playing field and making "budget" a factor when building a team. It would be very interesting to see the same thing applied in F1. Now you would have to trade off say a bit of weight in a part to make it cost $5k less.

Of course, it's easy to see how much an NFL team pays it's players. It's much harder to figure out how much a team really spent on a race season. If, and this is a big if, they can figure out how to make this work I think it will be great.

Yesterday the US$ lost 4 percent of its value against the Euro. So will the cap be increased or can the teams (having to pay most of their bills in Euros) spend less?

[culver]

Yesterday the US$ lost 4 percent of its value against the Euro. So will the cap be increased or can the teams (having to pay most of their bills in Euros) spend less?

As we are talking F1 I would assume any caps would be in Euros. I assume the $30m figure was a conversion from the Euro value. Of course that does raise a good point. A good bit of F1 money is actually spent in Pounds vs Euros so the question is still valid.

[LeonOfTheDead]

As we are talking F1 I would assume any caps would be in Euros. I assume the $30m figure was a conversion from the Euro value. Of course that does raise a good point. A good bit of F1 money is spent in Pounds so the question is still valid.

and the bill that McLaren payed for the spy-gate was in dollars.

[f6fhellcat13]

From F1.com:

On Tuesday, the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council agreed a radical addendum to the current Formula One technical regulations to come into force for 2010. The aim is to make it easier for new teams to enter and also allow existing teams to participate on much reduced budgets should they so choose.

Q: What is the budget figure?

Max Mosley: Provisionally it will be £30 million per two-car team per season (currently €33m, or $42m).

Q: How can you possibly run a Formula One team for that sort of money?

MM: It has been carefully costed. The cars will be much less refined in detail, because the teams will not be able to spend huge sums on minute advantages (for example, $1,200 on a wheel nut which is only used once), but from the grandstand or on television they won't look or sound any less 'Formula One' than the current, ultra-expensive cars. They will also be more interesting to the technically-minded because of the special features which will allow them to compete against teams with much bigger budgets. And don't forget that £30 million is still a huge amount of money in the real world.

[fpv_gtho]

The obvious result of this will be more pay drivers, at least for the time being. That figure includes driver wages, which for Ferrari would already blow the budget before you have to design and build the car, not to mention the wages of all the other team personel

[LeonOfTheDead]

And don't forget that £30 million is still a huge amount of money in the real world

so give us yours, or Bernie's. I'm pretty sure you both have well in excess of £30 million.