So much for 26 car grid next season

[Craig.]

Today Ferrari have joined, Red bull/ Torro Rosso, Toyota, Renault and BMW* in saying they have no interest in participating in a budget capped F1 under the current proposals.
Thats 12 possible cars gone from the grid with 6 coming onto it.

My only hope is all these teams actually follow through with it, and set their own season and championship up. Maybe we'll then see a proper competition.
I liked Flavio's recent comments that F1 is no place for cheap teams even in this current climate, annd that F1 should remain a little more exclusive than other series.
The pinnical of motorsport is being turned into a joke with all these artificial equalisers.


** edited as I put the wrong team, BMW have said they will leave not Mclaren. Sorry.

[ozzy72]

It won't make a bit of difference mate... the FIA will have to relent

[expat]

A six car grid will look very silly and it really hurts to say it, but Flavio is right. Now firstly, will they really do it, after all the end of the month is still two weeks away and the wording is very careful; they have no interest in participating in a budget capped F1 under the current proposals. Secondly, I am so much waiting for the words of wisdom from the Poisoned Dwarf
Also with the big names leaving, the majority being engine suppliers this will bring Brawn, Williams and McLaren into the bigger picture whether they like it or not. Either that or it will be back to Cosworth and Judd times...........still at least that will slow the runners down with budget caps and aerodynamic limitations

Matt

[Craig.]

The problem is Bernie has now backed himself in to a really tight corner. On one hand he's pushing for the cost cuts, on the other he's just said he wont let the FIA chase out Ferrari.
Now the team he is speaking about is irellevant before people start the ferrari thing.
The fact is he's created an impossible situation.
I could see Bernie pushing the teams to create a new series with him as promoter and as a seperate entity to the FIA. Bernie owns the F1 trademark. Without Ferrari, without Toyota, red bull, BMW and Renault there is no money. He cant sell a series on Brawn and Mclaren, just one look in the stands and to this day the biggest merchandise sellers are still Ferrari. Thats then closely followed by Mclaren and Renault. So two of the three biggest money makers are gone, he'll follow those guys.
However I also believe the FIA would then basically turn round and obviously say that you can no longer call the series winner the official world champions, because technically F1 and the world championship are still two seperate entitys, its just a case now that only the F1 races qualify for the world championship unlike the past where things like the indy 500 would also be a part.
No one wants a split series, we end up with a situation, of Indycar and Champ car again.
The past two seasons should have shown and told the FIA, the teams, and the fans that as it was F1 had the ability to provide perhaps the two greatest seasons for a long time. But all we heard was the new rules would close every one up, bring lots of new winners and everyone would enjoy lots of over taking. The teams have been forced to spend more this year thanks to KERS and the stupid moveable wing, than the last two years. We've been left with a confusing situation with the diffusors creating two differant types of car at the start, and we've got a 2004 like situation again that everyone wanted to avoid.
They have taken F1 away from the fans no matter what they may say about bringing it back to us. By this I mean the banning of in-season testing. For many of us commoners we cant afford

[The Ruptured Duck]

Wouldn't it be funny to have 6 cars on the grid and the rest paid for by Bernie/Max?  Reminds me of the ill fated Champ Car.

I say let the teams leave, and go to IndyCar.  They could build and sell chasis and engines, bring sponsors and new races.  It would be like CART, and there would be no Milka Dunos or Stanton Barretts