11 replies to this topic

[aguri]

Force India, Sauber, Lotus and WIlliams are the 4 large 'privateer teams'. Smaller ones like Marussia, Caterham, Haas and Forza Rossa will come and go.

 

If 5-6 of these teams were to band together and give CVC and the FIA an ultimatum that they will all leave the sport unless the powers that be agree to share revenues more evenly and commit to cost cutting measures such as price controls on power units, less frequent regulation changes, spec safety cell etc - would anything happen? 

 

Does the midfield hold any real power in F1?

[Donka]

The thing is as much as Bernie/FOM needs these teams, the value of the teams outside F1 is pretty much the liquidation value of their assets as they have a ton of bespoke equipment, parts, hospitality motors, etc. that exist only in the F1 bubble.  So without an entry the assets are worth a lot less.   View the administrator for Caterham, he's trying to strike a deal with 1MRT, because he knows the separate parts (1MRT w/ license and CSL) are worth much less than a functioning team.  

 

Basically they need one another.  Who has more staying power is the question.

[loki]

No

[Disgrace]

Such a union wouldn't include Williams given their "heritage" Bernie money status. Also consider they've just refocussed all their corporate efforts on F1 by selling Williams Hybrid Power and the Qatar Technology Centre.

 

All of the teams are in it for themselves and any such union can be easily done away with with the promise of funds and power. If it led to the end of FOTA, why not this? If anything, the top teams (especially those who can/will run three cars) in their short-term self-interest would probably hold the door open for the minnows to leave.

[emmanuelrubi]

No.

[scheivlak]

Force India, Sauber, Lotus and WIlliams are the 4 large 'privateer teams'. Smaller ones like Marussia, Caterham, Haas and Forza Rossa will come and go.

 

If 5-6 of these teams were to band together and give CVC and the FIA an ultimatum that they will all leave the sport unless the powers that be agree to share revenues more evenly and commit to cost cutting measures such as price controls on power units, less frequent regulation changes, spec safety cell etc - would anything happen? 

 

Does the midfield hold any real power in F1?

The problem is that if they leave now most of them will be in a debt-ridden situation. 

 

Far smarter would be to a) play FIA against CVC (possibly using the EU) and b) getting at least Mercedes to join them - the other team that's been left out of the advantageous deals that Bernie made with Ferrari, Red Bull and possibly McLaren as well. In the current situation, F1 without Mercedes or Mercedes-engined teams would be a joke. It'll be pretty interesting to see whether this will happen.

[Donka]

The problem is that if they leave now most of them will be in a debt-ridden situation. 

 

Far smarter would be to a) play FIA against CVC (possibly using the EU) and b) getting at least Mercedes to join them - the other team that's been left out of the advantageous deals that Bernie made with Ferrari, Red Bull and possibly McLaren as well. In the current situation, F1 without Mercedes or Mercedes-engined teams would be a joke. It'll be pretty interesting to see whether this will happen.

well... maybe this year it would have been a much closer championship and better show.  

[CHIUNDA]

Why are you leaving out McLaren and Red Bull in the list of large privateers?

[HoldenRT]

It'd be brave but the people at the top in F1 didn't come down in the last shower and have seen it all, they are canny and the egos are enormous.  If there were big threats and drama I think some of them would get off on it more than the actual races.  Pretty sure some of them already do.  Or at least one person.

 

In an ideal world these issues wouldn't even be discussed.  But in F1 there is sort of a rule of "push the limits as much as you can get away with" and that seems to extend also into the financial/power/politics side.

[aguri]

Why are you leaving out McLaren and Red Bull in the list of large privateers?

 

They are both works teams with legacy payments and a steady revenue stream?

Edited by aguri, 30 October 2014 - 01:33.

[Kraken]

Why are you leaving out McLaren and Red Bull in the list of large privateers?

Why would they want to give up the special payments that they (along with Ferrari) get?

[Supertourer]

Such a union wouldn't include Williams given their "heritage" Bernie money status. Also consider they've just refocussed all their corporate efforts on F1 by selling Williams Hybrid Power and the Qatar Technology Centre.

 

All of the teams are in it for themselves and any such union can be easily done away with with the promise of funds and power. If it led to the end of FOTA, why not this? If anything, the top teams (especially those who can/will run three cars) in their short-term self-interest would probably hold the door open for the minnows to leave.

 

Actually Williams have invested £8M into their 'Advanced Engineering' business which is part of the Williams group. This works on a lot of confidential car manufacturer projects including work for Nissan and also designed and built the batteries for Formula E. So although they have moved away from some non-F1 areas, they are not soley focused on F1 by any means.