Formula 1 budget cap will advantage small teams - Fred Vasseur

Formula 1

Formula 1 budget cap will advantage small teams - Vasseur

Teams must comply to operating cost restrictions amounting to $145million

Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Thursday 4 February 2021 16:00

Alfa Romeo team principal Fred Vasseur believes Formula 1's smaller teams will hold a small advantage within the new budget cap as they are accustomed to working with reduced finances.

Teams will have to operate within a $145million cap for this season, excluding driver salaries, the next three highest earners, as well as a number of other exclusions, meaning the net spending difference across the teams will be vastly reduced.

As one of the smaller teams on the grid, Alfa Romeo should see some advantages, according to Vasseur.

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"The advantage for us is that we are used to working with this sort of budget," he told GPFans Global. "We are below the cost cap and I think we are managing this area in terms of budget.

"What is not the case for the big three, four or five teams is that they will have to adapt to be a bit more restrictive and we will continue in the same direction with the same motivation.

"I think that Formula 1 needed to do something like this. As a small team it is difficult to motivate the investors and sponsors if you are not operating with the same budget, the same region of budget, let's say.

"We can't continue with 30 per cent of the biggest teams. Let's see. Perhaps it is a new area for F1, I am not completely blind."

Next season a new set of regulations is to be introduced designed to allow drivers to follow closer to one another without the effects of turbulent air affecting racing.

Vasseur, however, believes smaller teams will initially be unable to restore parity in this area with the more dominant in the sport due to the existing technology developed by the likes of Mercedes and Red Bull.

"It is always nice to start from a completely new page," added Vasseur.

"We have huge inertia in the system and the technology of the big teams will still be there. I am completely aware of this but if we have the stability of the regulations, on the big view, it could be an opportunity for the smaller teams.

"I know the big teams will have an advantage with technologies and so on but again, if we are able to have the stability in the regulations - because performance comes also with stability - then we can at least be a bit closer to them and in some occasions, be able to fight with them. This is the most important for me."