Source:REUTERS/ALAN
BALDWIN
[Saba
Sports News] In 2021, Formula 1 (F1) introduced a budget cap to promote
fairness among teams and restrict their spending. While teams officially comply
with the budget cap, they have been searching for loopholes to evade these
limitations. For instance, teams have increased their number of employees,
excluding those in the engine department, to around 1,500 compared to the
previous era when it was approximately 1,000. To illustrate the impact on
budget allocation, let’s consider the example of Rob Marshall, McLaren’s new
technical director. Previously at Red Bull Racing, Marshall spent only 10% of
his time on the F1 project, with the majority dedicated to other projects such
as the RB17 supercar and Red Bull Powertrain. Consequently, only 10% of Marshall’s
salary was accounted for in Red Bull Racing’s operating budget. To address
these practices, the FIA issued Technical Directive 045 on April 19 of the
previous year. This directive stipulates that regardless of the hours an
employee works on the F1 project, their full salary must be included in the
team’s budget cap. This rule is expected to be incorporated into the new
financial budget regulations starting from 2026.