F1 | Minardi on budget cap: "The time has come for Formula 1 to sit around a table"

In an interview granted to the microphones of its official website, Giancarlo Minardi spoke about the budget cap and the "limits" imposed by the technical regulation which will come into force starting from the 2021 season, highlighting how Liberty Medium e FIA need to review some plans for the future of the category.

According to the Manager from Faenza, current Director ofEnzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack in Imola, the current setting of the budget cap, combined with the "stringent" regulation, does not help the entry of new engines/manufacturers onto the scene. An important point that the US organization, directed by Stefano Domenicali, must analyze and correct.

“For the formula 1 the time has come to sit around a table and write a completely new book, without denying the past", said Giancarlo Minardi. “Just in the last few weeks, the rule freezing Power-units was approved, starting from 2022 until 2025. But it is not the only news. The budget cap debuts this season, an important innovation for the Circus. Contrary to the past, today Formula 1 costs much more than the image return it can guarantee for a manufacturer."

“This certainly does not favor the entry of new teams or new houses,” he continued. “A very important item on the teams' budget is undoubtedly the cost of the engine. That money could be spent on developing the car and having an even more competitive championship. If the freeze serves to make a point and find a much less burdensome direction, which can at the same time open the doors to new arrivals, then I am in favor of this choice. I continue to maintain that the budget cap as it has been studied is not the right path since there are very important items that have been excluded. Numerous stakes have been inserted which necessarily create differences between the teams."

“If you want to set a maximum spending ceiling, it must include all items, without any exclusions. It will then be up to the team to best evaluate how to spend it: whether to hire the best driver or technician, go to the track for tests or something else. By doing so, all teams are put on the same level, also encouraging the search for sponsorships. At that point the skill, organizational and creative capacity of the team itself comes into play. There formula 1 needs a breath of fresh air,” he concluded.