F1 divided

[Dhruv]

Hmm lets have a look at spending numbers from the different teams (source: F1 Racing magazine)

Research and development

1. McLaren $25.50m
2. Toyota $25.10m
3. Williams $22.60m
4. Ferrari $22.40m
5. Renault $18.70m
6. Sauber $18.06
7. BAR $17.40m
8. Red Bull $11.40m
9. Jordan $7.50m
10. Minardi $7.02

Wind Tunnel

1. Ferrari $11.25m
2. McLaren $9.96m
3. Williams $9.76m
4. Toyota $8.95m
5. Sauber $8.78m
6. BAR $7.80m
7. Renault $6.18m
8. Red Bull $3.95m
9. Jordan $3.20m
10. Minardi $0.38m

Manufacture

1. Toyota $3.40m
2. Ferrari $3.20m
3. McLaren $2.70m
4. BAR $2.40
5. Williams $2.25m
6. Sauber $1.70m
7. Renault $1.62m
8. Red Bull $1.45m
9. Minardi $0.75m
10. Jordan $0.64m

Engines

1. Toyota $192.50m
2. BAR (Honda) $181.50m
3. Williams (BMW) $169.00m
4. Ferrari $165.00m
5. McLaren (Mercedes Benz) $144.00m
6. Renault $121.00m
7. Red Bull (Cosworth) $66.00m
8. Sauber (Ferrari) $28.00m
9. Jordan (Toyota) $10.50m
10. Minardi (Cosworth) $10.00m

Travel and Accomodation

1. Ferrari $17.61m
2. Toyota $12.72m
3. McLaren $11.74m
4. Williams $9.10m
5. BAR $7.72m
6. Renault $7.33m
7. Sauber $6.65m
8. Red Bull $4.90m
9. Jordan $4.16m
10. Minardi $0.95m

Testing

1. McLaren $64.96m
2. Williams $63.04m
3. Ferrari $62.72m
4. BAR $56.64m
5. Toyota $53.06m
6. Renault $28.40m
7. Sauber $20.00m
8. Red Bull $4.88m
9. Jordan $4.20m
10. Minardi $1.78m

Racing

1. Ferrari $35.85m
2. Toyota $28.30m
3. Williams $26.16m
4. McLaren $24.13m
5. Renault $23.90m
6. Sauber $22.89m
7. BAR $22.14m
8. Jordan $20.33m
9. Red Bull $18.59m
10. Minardi $9.77m

The gaps in spending between the big teams and the small teams are so huge that no cuts in spending will help them really. And all the big teams match if not beat Ferrari in spending. The major reason that Ferrari have the highest budget is salaries. Schumacher makes as more in salary than the team budget of Minardi. Also Ruebens and the other people on the team (Jean Todd + engineers etc ) are all the highest paid of the lot and so that drives up their total cost. Teams like Toyota spend a crap load of money. If the teams want to make small teams viable then like the NFL or the NBA there has to a cap on spending and also revenue sharing of some sort.

In football for example Man U., Chelsea etc in the UK outspend their competitors by a large margin and perform well. The smaller teams do complain but I don;t see anyone coming up with ideas similar to the revenue sharing and salary cap regulations that govern the US major leagues.

All this talk is just a ploy to get the banks and Bernie to give the teams a larger part of the revenue stream of F1 in the next collective agreement (Concorde agreement). A high stakes games which people need to realise. It is similar to the game Paul S was playing in Australia. We have to be smart enough to see through the smoke screens or atleast take what they have to say with a healthy dose of scepticism.

[Dhruv]

Oh the reasons that Ferrari won't support the testing rule as it currently stands

1) They have BS tyres compare to 7 major teams with Mich. The other teams with BS tyres Jordan, Minardi don't test so basically tyre development is left to Ferrari. Basically tyres can make or break the lap speed of a car and BS tyres are breaking Ferrari this year as I suspected. Ferrari proposed a km based testing limit / tyre manufacturer but the teams refused as they would be at a disadvantage or they would have to switch to the weaker tyre (BS) and lose the Michelin advantage.
2) Ferrari is the only team that has its own testing tracks because of its history of making racing cars or sports car and so testing is cheaper for it compared to the other teams and if they stop testing then they are wasting the infrastructure they already have.

There are other minor reasons as well which I won't get into.

[vkd_1717]

Hmm lets have a look at spending numbers from the different teams (source: F1 Racing magazine)

Research and development

1. McLaren $25.50m
2. Toyota $25.10m
3. Williams $22.60m
4. Ferrari $22.40m
5. Renault $18.70m
6. Sauber $18.06
7. BAR $17.40m
8. Red Bull $11.40m
9. Jordan $7.50m
10. Minardi $7.02

Wind Tunnel

1. Ferrari $11.25m
2. McLaren $9.96m
3. Williams $9.76m
4. Toyota $8.95m
5. Sauber $8.78m
6. BAR $7.80m
7. Renault $6.18m
8. Red Bull $3.95m
9. Jordan $3.20m
10. Minardi $0.38m

Manufacture

1. Toyota $3.40m
2. Ferrari $3.20m
3. McLaren $2.70m
4. BAR $2.40
5. Williams $2.25m
6. Sauber $1.70m
7. Renault $1.62m
8. Red Bull $1.45m
9. Minardi $0.75m
10. Jordan $0.64m

Engines

1. Toyota $192.50m
2. BAR (Honda) $181.50m
3. Williams (BMW) $169.00m
4. Ferrari $165.00m
5. McLaren (Mercedes Benz) $144.00m
6. Renault $121.00m
7. Red Bull (Cosworth) $66.00m
8. Sauber (Ferrari) $28.00m
9. Jordan (Toyota) $10.50m
10. Minardi (Cosworth) $10.00m

Travel and Accomodation

1. Ferrari $17.61m
2. Toyota $12.72m
3. McLaren $11.74m
4. Williams $9.10m
5. BAR $7.72m
6. Renault $7.33m
7. Sauber $6.65m
8. Red Bull $4.90m
9. Jordan $4.16m
10. Minardi $0.95m

Testing

1. McLaren $64.96m
2. Williams $63.04m
3. Ferrari $62.72m
4. BAR $56.64m
5. Toyota $53.06m
6. Renault $28.40m
7. Sauber $20.00m
8. Red Bull $4.88m
9. Jordan $4.20m
10. Minardi $1.78m

Racing

1. Ferrari $35.85m
2. Toyota $28.30m
3. Williams $26.16m
4. McLaren $24.13m
5. Renault $23.90m
6. Sauber $22.89m
7. BAR $22.14m
8. Jordan $20.33m
9. Red Bull $18.59m
10. Minardi $9.77m

Rd Bull must have some great team to do so well with that kind of money

[Dhruv]

Yup both RBR and Renault are doing a lot with the money they have. A lot comes down to what stroke of genius your engineers can come up with and if what they believe works in the 3-D CAD/CAM world actually materialises in the real world. The simulation software that is good but not perfect and that is the difference between the different designers out there. Some designers just seem to know what will work which is why they are highly rated. Toyota paid big money to steal Renault's designer last year and that is helping them this year.

[vkd_1717]

another example of why the FIA wont survive

[jaydeep]

And now FIA sent show cause notice to all 7 teams for non performing act at US GP ... Copying from Formula1.com ...

In identical letters to the seven team bosses published by the FIA on Tuesday, Formula One’s governing body, who has summoned the teams to appear before the World Motor Sport Council next Wednesday, listed a number of charges.

The charges given are that, according to the FIA, each team:

• failed to ensure that they had a supply of suitable tyres for the race
• wrongfully refused to allow their cars to start the race
• wrongfully refused to allow their cars to race, subject to a speed restriction in one corner which was safe for such tyres as they had available
• combined with other teams to make a demonstration damaging to the image of Formula One by pulling into the pits immediately before the start of the race
• failed to notify the stewards of their intention not to race, in breach of Article 131 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations.

Article 131 states: "The starting grid will be published four hours before the race. Any competitor whose car(s) is (are) unable to start for any reason whatsoever (or who has good reason to believe that their car(s) will not be ready to start) must inform the stewards accordingly at the earliest opportunity and, in any event, no later than 45 minutes before the start of the race.”

The FIA told the teams they will be sent a full dossier of the charges within the next 24 hours and invited them to send any comments they should have in writing prior to their meeting with the Council in Paris on June 29.

Jaydeep.

[Sandeep]

This is becoming a big mess. FIA should have penalized the teams and left it that way. What if all the teams jointly say that they are not going to attend the council??

[Dhruv]

Its all politics and it now comes to a head. We should know by the end of all this if there is going to be F1 or if there is going to be the GPWC. Lets see what happens. The GPWC will probably mean an end to all the independents so that is a shame.

[jaydeep]

In interesting development Michelin have offered to refund US Grand Prix fans for this month's Formula One race at Indianapolis ...

"Michelin has decided to contribute to the costs incurred by the spectators present at the circuit on Sunday, June 19th 2005 by offering to refund their tickets," the French tyre manufacturer said in a statement on Tuesday.

"This is an important decision, since Michelin is not at all legally bound to do this."

Some 120,000 fans attended the race.

Michelin, who gave no financial details, also offered to buy 20,000 tickets for the 2006 US Grand Prix to be given to spectators who were at this year's event in order to "promote further Formula One interest in the United States".

Michelin to refund US GP fans

Jaydeep.

[Dhruv]

Interesting how they decided to do this the night before the teams are up before the FIA comittee for the alleged infractions at the US GP. Grandstanding, pressure tactics etc. anyone....

[jaydeep]

Yes Dhruv I was also thinking on same line ... Why Michelin decided on that just before FIA Committee hearing??? Definetly to reduce allegations and some heat from FIA ... Michelin isn't doing it for sake of F1 fans, but for saving their own a***.

Jaydeep.

[Sandeep]

Redbull with Ferrari. Not a surprise, as Redbull decided to go with ferrari engine from next season.

http://us.rediff.com/sports/2005/jul/18f1.htm

[vkd_1717]

With Ferrari, Red Bull and Jordan aldready signed the concorde agreement, Mosley said, another 3 teams are ready to sign (i think they are BMW, Toyota and BAR). With Minardi expecting to be sold it looks more likely that GPWC wont be around in 08.