BREAKING: Formula 1 is no longer a fair competition
Posted on 07-06-2016 to 12:30 by jaapiyo – 68 Comments”
That claims at least Moneysha Monisha Kaltenborn, topvrouw of the Swiss team Sauber. How big are the problems in the world Max?
Monisha is in the Dutch autofans probably best known for her role in ‘GiedoGate‘. Through everything there is around Max is done in less than 1.5 years of Formula 1 driving seems like already an eternity ago, but it was really last year that Giedo van der Garde would go racing for Sauber. Two Dutchmen in the Formula 1 with teams that points could score. It was an unprecedented wealth for the Dutch motorsport-fan. Later it turned out that it is too good to be true, because Monisha Kaltenborn cobble the contract of Giedo to her boot and chose two thick paying also-rans. A constant Brazo without the real speed, and a sporadic, rapid Swede that often crashes or other problems encountered.
Well, those days are behind us, but the issues that underlie this unsavory history, are still, plenty. The Swiss team, under the direction of Peter Sauber for many years a reliable steady middenmoter was and together with the BMW one Grand Prix managed to win with Robert Kubica in Canada (equivalent to a 1-2 with Heidfeld in P2), the financial is very difficult. It is well known that workers are not paid or paid late and the same goes no doubt for suppliers. Possible Sauber than the next team in a long line of Formula 1 teams going under. On the one hand, not surprising in a world where even teams like Lotus, backed by a billionaire, not a long time standing can continue without to cause problems. On the other hand worrying, as Sauber, after Ferrari, McLaren and Williams are currently the longest continuously participate in the highest class of auto racing.
The saga surrounding Giedo already showed that Monisha is not afraid to take extreme action to keep the team floating. Last year, Sauber, together with Force India, where billionaire Vijay Mallya pays the bills, an official complaint submitted to the EU on the basis of unfair competition. Nevertheless, there is in Formula 1 for the time being not or hardly changed at all. We look at the payouts that Bernie this year to the various teams did, we see the following (figures via Autosport):
Distribution F1-money 2016, amounts in millions of USD
# in kampioenschapbasisprestatieCCBLStanderstotaal
Ferrari233,553,53570192
Mercedes133,563,5 39 35171
Red Bull Racing433,536,5 3935144
Williams333,543,51087
McLaren933,5 16,53282
Force India533,533,567
Renault (Lotus)633,530,564
Scuderia Toro Rosso733,5 23,557
Sauber833,5 20,554
Manor1033,5 13,547
Interesting are especially the amounts after the general part and the part that the teams are entitled to depending on whether they perform. We see here the terms ‘CCB’, ‘LST’ and ‘other’ in the past. These are separate amounts that some teams are getting it and others not. The first term stands for ” Constructors’ Championship Bonus’ and the second for Long Standing Team payment’. ‘Otherwise,’ they have not even tried there a nice term to hang. Especially Ferrari but also Red Bull, McLaren, Williams and Mercedes will benefit all, therefore, of an extra chunk of change that Bernie them toewerpt. The other teams who ‘coincidentally’ is kind of the traditional second half of the grid form, have to do with their general part and a bonus for good performance. In a world where money gives you access to all sorts of possibilities for faster are on the job, is the question of whether this practice is sustainable.
In addition, the top teams today, it is also largely have their say with regard to the rules of the sport. At the end of 2013 is agreed that the rules today are made by the ‘F1 Strategy Group’. There are 18 voting members, including six representatives of the FIA, six of the rights holder FOM and six members of the leading teams in F1. The last is a thorn in the eye of the smaller teams, who have little more in the milk to degrade. Kaltenborn, in an interview with Motorsport.com the following to say about it:
“It’s leading to a competition which is no longer a fair competition. It has to do with these privileges, certain teams get in terms of rule-making and in terms of the commercial distribution. And if that reaches a point where it has an effect on the competition, that is something we are fighting against. All we want is a level playing field.”
That actually sounds quite reasonable. What do you think of the leaders in the Formula 1? Is that the red brigade, the extra cash or should there just be a line through all these side deals because the league is troubling?