McLaren CEO Zak Brown does not think the construction with a sister team, such as Red Bull Racing has with AlphaTauri, fits in Formula 1. The American hopes that the FIA will put a stop to it.
The budget cap will be active in Formula 1 from 2021. It meant that a Formula 1 team was not allowed to spend more than $145 million in 2021. In the coming year, that amount will be reduced by USD 5 million. Ferrari also has a sister team with Haas and it could experiment with that without spending too much money. That advantage should disappear, according to the CEO of McLaren.
Ten real constructors
Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo were often engaged in a battle with the AlphaTauris over the past year. Brown sees that the ‘B teams’ benefit from the developments at the top team, he says in conversation with Motorsport.com: “The rules, as they are now, are very much in favor of B teams, or customer teams.” The sharing of data must therefore stop: “Formula 1 must consist of ten real constructors, with each team – apart from sharing the power unit and possibly gearboxes – have to design and manufacture all performance-oriented parts itself.”
Agreeing against the interests
Formula 1 was initially a constructors’ championship in which major car brands competed against each other. That is no longer the case today. The teams’ independence is at stake, Brown said: “As I’ve said before – and these teams won’t admit it – there are times when smaller teams will vote against their own interests to please the A-team. ” According to the American, that is the problem: “That is not part of F1.”
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