James Vowles, the team principal of Williams, has been at the forefront of the efforts to obtain more flexibility in investment spending under the cost cap limitations. This is aimed at enabling the Grove team to modernize their outdated factory infrastructure.
Other teams that have specific investment projects on hold also want an extra allowance, but are willing to accept a smaller headline number than Williams.
There has also been a discussion about an alternative where the FIA would assess these requests individually instead of granting all teams the same additional allowance.
No decisions were reached during the F1 Commission meeting last week. It is known that both the FIA and F1 opposed a universal increase for all teams, as they believed it would only preserve the current situation.
Vasseur suggests that if an approval is granted for an allowance, teams will consistently request for greater flexibility.
“When it comes to CapEx, my perspective differs slightly, but I believe we are bound by regulations,” stated Vasseur in response to Motorsport.com’s query about Ferrari’s stance on the matter.
“We have modified the regulations multiple times. However, I believe that the current success of F1 is largely attributed to its stability.”
“If regulations are altered on a weekly basis in response to individual concerns or investment desires, it will lead to the demise of stability. Moreover, this process will never reach a conclusion.”
“Today, Williams is seeking a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Tomorrow, another entity may desire to purchase new trucks, or someone may express interest in acquiring the latest version of the simulator.”
This is an ongoing conversation that we must keep in mind that the cost cap was a significant advancement for F1 in terms of stability, performance equality, team profitability, and more.
“If we choose to proceed in this direction, I am completely in favor of it; otherwise, the cost cap will cease to exist.”
Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal and General Manager, Scuderia Ferrari
Photo by: Erik Junius
Vasseur clarified that Ferrari is not enthusiastic about supporting Renault’s efforts to obtain a concession in power unit performance development as a means to achieve equalization. This topic was also brought up during the F1 Commission meeting, but no agreement was reached.
He stated that it is indeed true that when the decision was made to halt the engine’s development, they took into account the possibility of finding a solution to assist those who would be significantly affected in extraordinary situations.
I am uncertain if Renault is significantly different from us in terms of numbers. This is the first instance where my engineers are less optimistic than the others!
“If we need to take action, it cannot involve adjusting the fuel flow. We apply a similar strategy when allocating time in the wind tunnel, where the individual ranked P10 receives more time rather than a reduction of 10 kilograms.”
“You grant permission for the team or the manufacturer of the power unit to engage in development. Furthermore, you ensure that no unfair advantage is provided, thereby initiating the establishment of performance equilibrium.”
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