Ferrari warns: "The budget cap will hurt F1"

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has warned FIA president Max Mosley that the introduction of a cap on team budgets in 2010 could lead to an "unfair" and "conditional" championship, capable of damaging the sport. In a letter written on Thursday, and seen by AUTOSPORT, Montezemolo wrote that the category could be seriously damaged by these new rules.

Mosley, for his part, had however reported to the team principals through his own letter that he was firmly convinced that sport will be able to give a convincing response to the global economic crisis and an uncertain future. The World Council confirmed on Thursday that teams will have to limit their budget to £40 million from the 2010 season. Teams that adopt this limit will be able to benefit from greater technical freedoms, including movable wings and engines without rev limits .

The news has not been well received by some teams who believe that a two-speed formula is not positive for the future of Formula 1. Although Ferrari has refrained from commenting on what happened on Thursday, it has emerged that Montezemolo has addressed a letter to Mosley in which he expressed all his doubts about it. “All aspects of the new regulation should be reviewed,” Montezemolo wrote.

“Limiting myself, here, to commenting on the cost ceiling, about which as you well know I have always had great doubts, I believe first of all that correctly monitoring expenses involves great technical difficulties. Furthermore, any dispute over compliance with these limits could damage the image of Formula 1 and any teams involved. On the other hand, there are doubts about the possibility that two categories of teams could be created, which would inevitably mean that one category could gain an advantage over the other for the purposes of the championship, which would thus be distorted. All this could generate confusion in the minds of spectators which would devalue the interest in Formula 1. I don't think this is the ideal solution for the category, neither for professionals nor for the public.

The Ferrari president also expressed doubts about the timing and methods of introducing the new rules, underlining that there was no "extreme urgency" to make these changes. Montezemolo also pointed out that without the approval of the F1 Commission, in compliance with the Concordat Agreement, the FIA ​​cannot take any steps. Mosley, responding to Montezemolo with a letter also seen by AUTOSPORT, underlined how sport must implement drastic and immediate measures to address the global economic crisis. The FIA ​​president added that the teams will have to adapt to the spending cap, underlining how Ferrari had "chosen not to hinder the FIA ​​in the project over the last six weeks". “The automotive industry and financial services are two of the main resources for Formula 1 of the future. Many are already in difficulty. We can't just sit and wait, hoping that nothing bad will happen. We have already lost a manufacturer,” continued Mosley. Despite my repeated requests,
not even a single manufacturer has given us the certainty of wanting to continue its commitment in F1.

We could lose more teams at any time. We understand that today's level of spending is unsustainable for independent teams. If we work to reduce the risks of collapse of Formula 1, we could have the entry of new teams. We have a duty to reduce costs drastically. The issue is particularly urgent so that the new teams about to enter can find out if they are able to compete in 2010. We are already late”.

Marco Privitera