F1 » Bernie: Teams need F1 more than F1 needs them

200m might be a little extreme, I think only a handful of the teams actually spend that much.

But yes, that's valid I think.

People keep on saying that Benetton won championships in the 90s on just 30m, but I can't help thinking that's irrelevant.

The price of *everything* has gone up a lot in the 14 years since Benetton were winning things. Fuel, components, wages, even the ice cream Kimi had at Malaysia.

So 40m is far too steep, and as the teams say, it would no longer be the pinnacle of motorsport. Which is what F1 needs to be in order to still actually be F1, not toytown.

They should be allowed to spend whatever it takes to be the pinnacle, and not a lot more.

Sorted!

sorry, the above post was @ 2pac.

But feel free to enjoy it, even if you're not a 90s rapper!

As a matter of interest does anybody know what the budget of a top LMS team is, Audi for instance or a top WRC team is? Just to compare what a top F1 team has to spend in comparison. I hear F1 power boats is an expensive game to, wonder how much it takes to be competitive in that sport?

I'm sure you don't have to spend in excess of $100M to be considered at "the pinnacle" of motor sport.

Funny but I thought Fiat now owned 35% of Chrysler, and Chrylser were already loaned 4 billion plus were looking for another 3, all so that Fiat can get a better foothold in the US... it really won't matter one bit to them if Chrysler folds.

On the Euro loans and scrappage schemes, in the UK 300 million of Tax payers money is being given away to encourage people to buy newer cars.. I frankly don't see why my hard earned should be used to subsidise someones new car rather than repair the road to make it safer for all.

Subsidised airlines... I can only assume you are talking about the lack of tax on aviation fuel.. something I would like to see.

I really don't agree with the cap. The teams have budgets to work within as does every body else in business. Money doesn't make you go faster as McLaren have proved this year!!!
This is supposed to be the best in the world and that costs money. If you want to level the playing field every year then get all the teams to release all the details of the previous years car to all the other teams...

Just my 2 pence worth.

@ Al,

I agree. But they need to find a way of kickstarting the new car market, to both save jobs and support the economy.

I do happen to think it's a pants idea, but I haven't though of a better one yet so I guess I can't complain.

I personally don't see why my hard earned should go on about 90% of the things it does. It seems if you actually work hard to earn, you get the raw deal in this Robin Hood society!

Now I'm on a political jukebox, so I'll climb down before I digress too much. back to cars...

another problem I see is if everyoen scraps their cars, there'll be hardly any vintage cars from this era in 20 years time.

And I happen to think nostalgia is very important.

2Pac, u dont seem to have much of a logic part 2 your brain.

I still dont see how u equate going racing in F1 (or whatever breakaway) as being a threat to the manufacturer as a whole.

The teams & manufacturers know their own budgets & know they can be there with FOTA's cost cutting proposal, but u - the real expert - question them?

None of them seemed to blink at the $50mil bond to stay in FOTA, which can be used as shares in the breakaway until TV / promoter / merchandising income becomes available. A few hundred mil is good startup capital.
Money saved through cost cutting can be invested in the breakaway too, with returns as the series grows.
What's so hard?

Dale,

if you've read my posts and the posts by mrdood and you still don't get it we'll just have to agree to disagree.

all i will say is if your standpoint is right why is BrawnGP and not Honda F1 on the grid?

Much as I hate to admit it, Bernie has a point. The teams need the badge of F1 to show that they are at the pinicle of motorsport and to attract big name sponsors and make big piles of cash. I would sort of disagree with the second part of his comment though. The only team that F1 really needs is Ferrari. Ask anyone even someone who knows nothing about F1 to name a team and the answer will probably be Ferrari.

Now I know I'll probably get a lot of disagrees 'cos folk don't like Bernie but if you read the comment and take out the fact it was said by shortstuff, it actually makes a certain amount of sense.

@ 2Pac

So you choose to base your entire argument on the ONE manufacturer that chose to leave ... even though FIVE chose to stay?

As they say ... you're either a 'cups half empty' or a 'cups half full' person.

An optimist can easily see that FOTA will succeed, a realist can see the facts & agree they're most likely to succeed ... but a pessimist will always expect them to fail ... even when they've already succeeded.

If a breakaway turns into the best racing we've ever seen & runs for the next 50 years, before being forced to stop while we fight the alien invaders ... you will pop up & say "see it failed".