Why F1's budget cap will 'level out' the playing field for 2022

Haas

Why F1's budget cap will 'level out' the playing field for 2022

Parallel development has been limited this season due to the spending restrictions

Sam Hall

Friday 13 August 2021 16:47

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner is confident F1's budget cap will 'level out' the playing field as the sport heads into a new aerodynamic era.

For the 2021 season, a strict $145million cost cap was introduced for all teams and although some teams have yet to reach this level of spending, it has kerbed the outlay of some of the sport's big spenders.

Ahead of the introduction of next year's new specification cars, Steiner believes the cap and other restrictions will create a more even footing in the paddock.

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Asked of his expectations for 2022, Steiner answered: “I think the budget cap for sure has a lot to do with it.

"If there wouldn’t be a budget cap, the big teams, they would have parallel developed this year’s car and next year’s car.

“I think it is a combination. Also, their runs in the wind tunnel. They are limited and the CFD calculation time is limited so I think in general, the playing field is more levelled out.

“But also, we started off knowing that with this car there is no point investing anything because the car wasn’t good in ’19.

"Last year we stopped development completely, so to put a lot of investment – not only money but also in people – is not something you want to do because even if you do a good job, you are still around in the low-midfield at the maximum.

“We decided to go full-out for next year so hopefully that pays off."

After electing not to develop either last year or this, Steiner conceded the challenges associated with switching back on departments that had laid dormant.

“Obviously, in the beginning of the season we had a little bit of a slower start in developing again because we needed to restart a lot of the departments," he explained.

"But now we are at a good speed with good people so I am pretty confident that we can come back in the midfield.

“How far up is to be seen and to rely on the other people how good they are. So I hope they are not very good. It will make it a lot easier.”