Some team bosses would like to start working with a salary cap in the future in Formula 1. Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing absolutely disagree, De Telegraaf wrote last weekend. In the press conference for team principals, Christian Horner was asked about the idea of a salary cap. The team boss of the Austrian racing stable kept his head down and immediately broadened the subject.
Lower salaries would benefit teams and their owners, so such a measure would also seem to benefit Red Bull. Horner does not release much about his employer's position on a salary cap. He states that having a cap is of course fine in itself, but that its application is quite difficult because the reporting structures of companies, and those of Formula One teams in particular, are particularly complex.
The 50-year-old top executive goes on to state that, in his opinion, there is currently too much focus on the budget ceiling. Making the sport cheaper can also be done in other, more efficient ways. "I think you've got to look at where your cost drivers are," he explains. "I think as Formula 1, we need to do a better job at looking at technical regulations, sporting regulations, because we're still designing and manufacturing very expensive cars. You know, the engine regulations for 2026. There's nothing cheap about them."
In Horner's view, it is better to address such issues first. "What we don't want to see is that Formula 1 becomes an accounting world championship, you know, rather than a technical or sporting one." Red Bull's team boss would like to see a close look at some of the fundamentals that are responsible for making today's cars so incredibly expensive to build.
Exactly. Cost cap is just BS. It's been what like 7 races and teams haven't even brought any significant upgrades. They should implement it in such a way that teams must be able bring updates every 3 races. i.e. development race must be kept alive. It's better they keep drivers and Employees salaries out of such non sense.
On this point Christian and myself are on the same page. F1 is heading to "an accounting world championship, you know, rather than a technical or sporting one." Yip and we now will have cost cutting on drivers, engineering, manufacturing, fuel, aero. This then will lead to an IndyCar model of the shelf parts . Unlike the individual team innovations in tech and aero that cost a lot of money. Bye bye those days are over. And pay to play drivers are a necessity now especially for the smaller teams, drivers that get paid by advertising deals rather than a salary so yip talent drain to IndyCar and other series. Horner is right on point.
Well said Vegan. Christian is probably happy your on the same page with him also.