How to cut costs without a cost cap?

[DRU842]

My proposed solution is simple:

1) Bring back "Customer Cars"
By eliminating design houses [i.e. reducing BOTH bums on seats AND infrastructure (bricks and mortar)], we can significantly reduce the Minnow team costs. How much does it cost to build, run and maintain a wind tunnel?

For example: Redbull design and manufacture their cars and the Torro Rosso cars.
Yes, a Customer Team will always be one spec behind, but the gap will not be a huge as it is now!

2) Allow previous years cars to run as a "B Spec" for privateers
In the 90's there were up to 30 cars vying for the 26 spots on the grid. Allowing the young up and comers (with cash) to run their own cars (with some team support obviously) would possibly even keep pay drivers out of larger teams...

There is enormous amounts of engineering effort and cash spent on car development over a season, to be simply put in a shed at the end of each season. What a HUGE waste!

3) Reduce downforce at the extremities of the car, and bring it back to the centre
This will reduce the car sensitivity, and increase overtaking.

4) Bring back in season testing
ALL teams currently spend enormous amounts of money trying to simulate track testing, so it would probably be cheaper to JUST DO IT!. (Not open slather, but at least 4-5 extra days a year)


For this to happen, the FIA need to "grow a pair", stand up to the Teams and Bernie and make it a reality.

You've got my vote for customer cars. Not sure I'd refer to B Spec but single car teams should be OK too. Point 3 we can disagree on as its difficult to police & point 4 is a great start.

[Jolle]

My proposed solution is simple:

1) Bring back "Customer Cars"
By eliminating design houses [i.e. reducing BOTH bums on seats AND infrastructure (bricks and mortar)], we can significantly reduce the Minnow team costs. How much does it cost to build, run and maintain a wind tunnel?

For example: Redbull design and manufacture their cars and the Torro Rosso cars.
Yes, a Customer Team will always be one spec behind, but the gap will not be a huge as it is now!

2) Allow previous years cars to run as a "B Spec" for privateers
In the 90's there were up to 30 cars vying for the 26 spots on the grid. Allowing the young up and comers (with cash) to run their own cars (with some team support obviously) would possibly even keep pay drivers out of larger teams...

There is enormous amounts of engineering effort and cash spent on car development over a season, to be simply put in a shed at the end of each season. What a HUGE waste!

3) Reduce downforce at the extremities of the car, and bring it back to the centre
This will reduce the car sensitivity, and increase overtaking.

4) Bring back in season testing
ALL teams currently spend enormous amounts of money trying to simulate track testing, so it would probably be cheaper to JUST DO IT!. (Not open slather, but at least 4-5 extra days a year)


For this to happen, the FIA need to "grow a pair", stand up to the Teams and Bernie and make it a reality.

You've got my vote for customer cars. Not sure I'd refer to B Spec but single car teams should be OK too. Point 3 we can disagree on as its difficult to police & point 4 is a great start.

I don't think the car itself is the biggest problem, with the current rule set you can order a car well within the 107% rules from dalara if you want. I read somewhere that the engine lease is about half the budget, so to have more sensible options there would be a better result (like being able to lease different spec engines or old ones). On the racing team side, it's quite redicilous at the moment, even the small teams have loads of people at the track. That shouldn't be necessary.

[Nathanael F1]

It might be stupid, but is it feasible for a token system similar to engine development to be used to cut costs? So instead of teams basically having free reign of R&D, X number of tokens are allowed per season. Then teams will only be able to change a certain portion of their F1 car each year.