The return of client frames in 2013?
Luca di Montezemolo, the head of Ferrari, has been advocating for several months for F1 teams, especially the most prestigious ones, to be allowed to run more than two cars in Grand Prix races or to lease or sell a car to a smaller team. The Italian boss, who stands alone against everyone else, has nonetheless managed to stir things up, and the Formula 1 Commission might consider including this change in the new Concorde Agreements, which will take effect from 2013.
Since the arrival of three new teams in 2010, Luca di Montezemolo suggested that the big teams could run three cars to ensure more spectacle and rather than having a two-speed championship between the well-established F1 teams and the three newcomers.
Since the requirement for all teams to build their own single-seater cars, this has not been possible. But things could finally change, the F1 Commission is expected to meet on Tuesday, and according to the Italian newspaper La Stampa, a redefinition of what constitutes a constructor in Formula 1 could be on the agenda.
The Commission could debate the possibility of Formula 1 teams selling or leasing chassis to other teams. According to the Italian newspaper, Bernie Ecclestone could even be in favor of this rule change, which could be included in the new Concorde Agreements starting from 2013.
This could allow small teams, initially and potentially others, to have a better car, improving their competitiveness, which could lead to the arrival of new sponsors and also result in closer performance gaps between the cars.
The big teams could also use this system to rotate young drivers into other teams, for example, Jules Bianchi with Ferrari or Romain Grosjean with Lotus Renault.
But according to *La Stampa*, McLaren and Red Bull, among others, may not be in favor of a return to this system, which was in place in the 1970s and 1980s. However, this rule could potentially allow for a more crowded field, as racing teams from other categories could enter a car bought or leased from another team, either occasionally or for a longer period. But the increase in the number of cars on the track might not please everyone, especially since, according to the regulations, at the moment, there cannot be more than 26 cars during an F1 Grand Prix.
A F1 team can no longer use the chassis designed by another team – as was notably the case between Red Bull and Toro Rosso. But for several years, technical partnerships have been established between various teams, notably between McLaren and Force India or between Red Bull and Team Lotus.
Martin Whitmarsh, the director of the McLaren team, stated that he is opposed to the possibility of selling a chassis to another team. He believes that it is better for the moment to focus on the current 12 teams on the grid to find a viable economic model.
« That’s where I think we would be accused of being hypocritical, but we don’t think returning to customer chassis is the right way to go. If you allow customer chassis, there will be a Red Bull customer, a McLaren customer, a Ferrari customer, and perhaps a Mercedes customer – and it would be difficult for some other teams, » Martin Whitmarsh told Autosport.
« We currently have 12 teams, and we should rather focus on developing a viable economic model in terms of budget for all 12 teams. It would be healthier and a better way to move forward, but that’s just my opinion. I respect that others have a different point of view, » added Whitmarsh.
