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FOTA vs F1; Which would you watch?
Topic Started: Jun 4 2009, 10:45 AM (763 Views)
RJHSaints
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Assuming the big teams will not settle for a cap of $40m then there will almost certainly be more money in the FOTA series. Teams like Litespeed simply don't have the resources to pay the top drivers $20m p/a, even Williams (who would presumably be the biggest non-FOTA championship team, unless of course they also jump ship) could at best pay about $5m p/a for the best drivers these days.

As far as the history and heritage argument is concerned, you only need to look at the sad situation in darts to see that the BDO championship has gradually become inferior to the PDC because the money is in the latter. Prestige of the championship has therefore declined to the point where the PDC championship is arguably the bigger, more important championship, even with Phil Taylor's domination.
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Pasta
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A few things.

First this budget cap is too extreme. I think the practice of the richer teams supporting the poorer teams (engines, last year's technology) will enable the poorer teams to be competitive. Look at the two best teams this season. They are not manufacturers and are supported by the manufacturers. This I think is a much better solution to enabling new (poorer) teams to compete. Some subtle rule changes encouraging technology support or sharing is a much better solution. In that way you are not limiting technology (via the Max budget cap) but rather enabling the richer teams to defray some of the costs whilst helping the independents. I think also telling Ferrari and Shell that Shell also has to sponsor Ferraris sponsored team will help in financing.

Such a drastic Maxi-cut in expenditures will result in a whole lot of lifetime engineers and designers being cut adrift with no warning. Let's say in two years this global recession is over, and more money is available for the sport. How will you get these good people back? The proposed budget cuts are just so arbitrary and done clearly without consultation of any of the teams. Beyond that, what about the livelihoods of these career people? It seems to me a bit too insensitive.

If the FIA and F1 is looking for a short term solution to bring in new teams or bring back old teams like Lotus, I think a better way should have been found. Such an abrupt change really shocks any sense of continuity, and on the surface looks contrived. If you ask me if the FIA is really serious about this, then I say probably not.

Which leads to the real issue.

Whilst I agree the teams can be self serving, especially my fav which is Ferrari, there must be a better way to ensure cooperation and harmony. I think that Max's methodology of threshhold negotiation ultimately encourages one team (such as Ferrari) to make a deal first to get a better deal. This divide and conquer approach ultimately is not good.

I have heard it said that Max could have been Prime Minister had he not turned down the Conservative Party. I disagree. Over all the years I have spent on the street struggling to build businesses and relationships, I can truthfully say that most of the business people I know, including myself, would never in a million years, want to work with Max. He is the George Bush in contrast to - well any good president. His arrogance and confrontational approach is getting long of tooth.

Will there be a split series? No never. But if the major teams stick together and simply ask for this understandable delay in implementing draconian cost cuts, then it will not be an issue.

It is up to Ferrari.
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Pasta
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Oh yes - respecting my first paragraph. I forgot to say, and agree with previous posters. The constant and radical rule changes have greatly added to costs. If the rules were a bit more stable, then last year's technology would have more meaning for the second tier teams, and save them a lot of money.
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