Formula 1 May Transition Back to Customer Cars

Formula 1 tends to move in waves. Turbos are returning to F1 after a roughly 30-year absence. For years it was the norm that teams could buy customer cars as a cheaper way to enter the sport. But in the last decades teams had to build their own chassis but were free to buy engines from suppliers. On Monday, Red BullRed BullAustria, 2004 > present12 models
1049 photos
3 videos
, FerrariFerrariItaly, 1947 > present233 models
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37 videos
, McLarenMcLarenUnited Kingdom, 1963 > present92 models
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12 videos
, MercedesMercedes-BenzGermany, 1924 > present197 models
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33 videos
, LotusLotusUnited Kingdom, 1952 > present68 models
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7 videos
, WilliamsWilliamsUnited Kingdom, 1977 > present37 models
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and representatives from the FIA and Formula One Management are meeting to discuss possibly allowing customer chassis back into the sport and future technical and tire changes.

It is unlikely that they will agree to allow complete customer cars all at once, but wider parts sharing among F1 teams is a possibility.

However, some of the smaller teams are protesting against the change before the meeting has even begun.

"On one hand, you have got four teams that are totally protected against all the rising costs because of the extra money that they have got. And the teams that have been disenfranchised are totally burdened with all the costs.

“You cannot bring customer cars in unless you force teams out of business,” said Bob Fernley, Force IndiaForce IndiaIndia, 2007 > present8 models
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deputy team principal.

Fernley thinks that the larger teams and the FIA are attempting to burden smaller teams with high costs in order to bring customer cars back.

Customer cars benefit the larger teams by giving increasing their revenue by giving them vehicles to sell. Although, it is possible to imagine very small teams benefiting because they would have lower development costs.

Source: Autosport