In the wake of another stunning victory by Jenson Button at the 2009 Turkish Grand Prix this past weekend, tensions up and down the paddock are rising over the budget caps that Max Mosley and the FIA (there’s a band name for you) have proposed from 2010 forward.
So far, announcement of these rules changes have done what was intended in terms of attracting new blood to the sport. Several teams have expressed interest in rounding out the remaining places in the paddock, and all have cited the newly-lowered costs of competition as a main reason why they consider now to be the proper time to enter the fray. Alongside newcomers to F1 such as USGPE and ProDrive, old hands at F1 such as Lola and even SuperAguri have also indicated interest. No matter what the final grid for 2010 ends up looking like, it’s sure to be more interesting both for spectators and for the teams themselves with a greater number and range of competitors in the championship.
However, most members of the FOTA are greatly displeased by the new rules as currently set out, to the point where several are threatening to quit F1 and go off on their own to start a different series. Chief amongst these, of course, is Ferrari—but they’re not alone. All teams currently on the grid save for Williams and ForceIndia have expressed the same dissatisfaction.
Some drivers have spoken out as well. Chief amongst these have been Jarno Trulli from Toyota and former world champion Fernando Alonso from Renault. Alonso even went so far as to state:
“If the manufacturers cannot sign up for F1 and they organise a parallel championship, that would be the most interesting.
“Then you would see the technology and the fastest cars in the world and, in the end, that’s where the drivers want to be.”
Time is running out to settle the matter, and as always, CarEnvy will bring you the news—no matter what the outcome.
[BBC]