Formula 1

F1 teams seeking dramatic cut to budget cap to survive

Cap to drop to $150million, but could fall as low as $100million

Ian Parkes

Monday 6 April 2020 10:04 Updated: 13:38

Formula 1's 10 teams have agreed on a cut to the budget cap due to come into force in 2021, with talks ongoing to lower it further.

The cap had been set at $175million, but following recent discussions given the decimation of the season so far caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and the knock-on effect of a severe drop in revenues, that has now been lowered to $150million.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown, however, feels for the preservation of all the teams, and the sport as a whole, the cap needs to come down to $100million.

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"You have everyone at $150m, and the strong majority - including one of the big teams - willing to come substantially under $150m," Brown told BBC Sport.

Brown, who would apparently accept a compromise cut of $125million, has refused to divulge which of F1's 'big three' is on board, although it is understood to be Mercedes, with Ferrari and Red Bull resistant.

Brown is hoping common sense will prevail, adding: "If we don't make an aggressive enough budget cap and some people feel they have to top up this year and have no chance of getting it back, then they ask themselves: Why are they in it?

"I don't think anyone competes in F1 just to make up the numbers."

Brown believes the teams arguing against a further cap reduction are not seeing the bigger picture.

"In football, while everyone knows Manchester United or Liverpool are going to win more often than not, every team has a chance to beat them, and in F1 it is just not the case," said Brown.

"And a couple of the teams are putting their sporting interests well ahead of the greater good and missing the point that they are really running the risk of jeopardising the sport - and then we all lose.

"You'd almost think they are uncomfortable about having a fair fight with teams that maybe they haven't viewed as a competitor before, and they might be uncomfortable having a fair fight because they have never actually been in one.

"Sport in my mind is a chance for everyone to compete fairly and pretty equitably. It is like a heavyweight boxer who only wants to fight middleweights."