Budget Cap, Budget Cap of my lust, who's the richest team in the realm?
This seems to be the question to ask, but how is it possible that a rule created to bring teams together is only making the economic strength of some more evident than others?
The stepmother and the Budget Cap
The FIA introduces the Budget Cap in 2021, following the Covid-19 pandemic. The ceiling foresees a maximum of 140 million as an expense for each team for everything concerning the development of the car (excluding the engines protected by a separate contract). Obviously, like any rule, there have been teams that have not respected it, such as the case of Aston Martin and Red Bull in 2021. And teams that have bitterly contested it, such as Mercedes and Ferrari. To date, however, the situation seems to have reversed, if in the early days it was the richest teams who complained, now it is the smallest who raise their voices about it.
Fairy tales and reality
The intent of F1 is, especially for some years now, to give as much entertainment to the fans, new or old as they are. What better way than to bring the cars closer, allowing them with a new regulation to be able to follow each other for many laps with a minimum gap. The main problem, however, is to arrive at that detachment. Cars can also allow particularly close pursuit, but what if they can't get that close?
The rule therefore has its own basic logic: "Let's give everyone the same chances!" Too bad that the limit considerably affects the development of the team structures. The "wealthier" ones will probably already have more advanced structures than the smaller teams, which will therefore find themselves having to achieve the same performances with means agés. When does the desired parity arrive if the developments of those who have to chase are limited? It's like wishing that two runners cross the finish line together, they are forced to undergo the same training, the same nutrition, the same coach, and then they start two meters ahead of the other.
Szafnauer: “The Budget Cap does not allow us to be competitive”
He had already denounced the problem James Vowels a few months ago, who found himself at the head of Williams after more than a decade in Mercedes and had noticed the limited structural availability of the smaller teams. Today to report the thing is Otmar Szafnauer, team principal of Alpine. The FIA has already allowed extras once the problem was discovered with a bonus for example for the Aston Martin team to facilitate the construction of a wind tunnel.
"The FIA must allow some infrastructure necessary for everyone to be outside the limits imposed by the budget cap. They allowed it for the Aston Martin wind tunnel, otherwise there would never be an investment in a new wind tunnel. If the cost ceiling is 36 million, a wind tunnel costs 70″. These are Szafnauer's words in this regard, also underlining the heavy price of the infrastructure necessary for F1.
The problem is more serious than it seems:
It was already known after Vowels' statements that the situation was not fair. Well the problem is more serious than expected in view of the new regulation of 2026 not all teams will be able to comply with the new technical directives with the structures they possess without compromising the commitment to the budget cap or the development of the cars for the next few years. Changing the hybrid setup, with a much more powerful MGU-K and the removal of the MGU-H system, will require Alpine to build a new, upgraded dyno.
“A part of the budget cap must be spent on regulations” – explained Szafnauer. "For example, the new regulation for 2026 requires a new test bench for the gearbox. The exchange desk we have now can't handle it, so you need to spend that money. And then, once you spend the money on a new gearbox test rig, you just don't have enough money to do the other stuff."
The FIA is trying everything, but it's in the nature of F1 for one team to lead and the others to chase, proof of this is this year's Red Bull, uncatchable.
Is it therefore right to impose such limits in a sport that by its nature defies the limit?
