F1 | Abiteboul: “Renault's budget is about 60% lower than that of Mercedes”

During the long interview given to the German newspaper Auto Motor Und Sport, Renault team principal Cyril Abiteboul returned to one of the thorniest issues in current Formula 1, that relating to the teams' budget. It is no mystery, in fact, that Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, compared to the competition, invest decidedly higher sums of money: a detail that is not at all marginal, which has contributed to creating the gap between the top teams and the rest of the grid. A gap that perhaps only the introduction of the budget cap "pushed" by Liberty Media, i.e. a uniform spending limit for everyone, would be able to narrow.

Abiteboul, without revealing the figures, shed light on the significant deficit that Renault currently pays: “Our budget is around 60% less than what Mercedes can afford to spend on its Formula 1 programme” - has explained. “It is a handicap, but when the budget cap comes into force in Formula 1, this handicap will become a strong point. Considering what Mercedes is currently spending, catching up would be a huge challenge. The amounts that the three top teams spend are unacceptable, we must protect these teams from themselves.".