General
Postponement around budget cap: Teams get more time to get staff ready
- GPblog.com
From 2021 onwards, a budget cap will be used within Formula 1. From that year onwards, the teams must adhere to a limited amount of money with what they are allowed to spend in a year, starting at $145 million. However, the three top teams, Mercedes, Red Bull Racing and Ferrari, already seem to be receiving benefits.
Because they have to make huge staff cuts, they have applied for a postponement in order to reduce their number of employees. That application originally started at Ferrari and all teams can take advantage of the postponement. As a result, the teams do not need to have their staff in order until June 2021.
Benefits for smaller teams as well
"They gave us six months. We actually asked for more, but in the end this was a good compromise", explains Mattia Binotto to Formel1. Although the scheme will apply to all teams, it is the top teams who will benefit most from the postponement. Red Bull will also benefit from the postponement requested by Ferrari. This will give them more time to put their human resources in order.
"The relaxation has been introduced for Ferrari in the first place, giving them more time," Horner explains. However, he also indicates that Red Bull itself also benefits from the postponement. That's because staff will also have to be divided among other projects. Fortunately, Red Bull still has plenty of alternative projects running where they need staff. The teams in the midfield also don't find the postponement a problem.
"They will have a small advantage," explains Franz Tost. "But you have to remember that they have built a fantastic infrastructure and now they all have to change that". Zak Brown, team boss at McLaren, also sees no problem in the postponement. "We are satisfied with the arrangements and the soft landing that is now being created by the delay. We are now above budget too, so it helps us too", concludes Brown.