The FOTA will meet in Korea regarding the RRA
Since last winter, Red Bull has been in the crosshairs of its rivals, who suspect the world champion team of exceeding the maximum budget to win both titles last year. The controversy erupted again when the Milton Keynes team approached its second championship while Mercedes GP also fueled the flames by hiring two top talents in its technical department, namely Aldo Costa (Ferrari) and Geoff Willis (HRT).
For once, it’s Ferrari that is seeking clarification on the subject since the Maranello team doesn’t want to be disadvantaged compared to its rivals in this gentlemen’s agreement. Stefano Domenicali, their team principal, told Autosport: “I think it’s a very sensitive topic. It’s a subject where we need a final clarification because, ultimately, the RRA is very important to keep expenditures as low as possible. It should not become a performance differentiator so that you can do something others cannot. But in this area, I have nothing more to declare than what I’ve just said. We need to clarify this once and for all. It’s a question of trust between teams and we need to eliminate these doubts. We are going to have a meeting, in Korea I think, where we need to settle this crucial point where all teams must work together.”
It is therefore interesting to note the change in discourse from Scuderia compared to its great years when budget was the least of the concerns for the men of Jean Todt and Michael Schumacher. It wasn’t long ago that the team’s cars would be running simultaneously on both circuits owned by the Italian firm (Mugello and Fiorano), or even on a third circuit to maximize ongoing development. But since then, Ferrari is no longer the flagship of the championship and now adopts the strategies of its rivals from that era: mistrust and suspicion to explain the very favorable results of the Red Bull team.
Of course, Ferrari is followed by its preferred customer team, namely Sauber. James Key, their technical director, states: “Personally, I’ve only worked in relatively small teams, and I think from the perspective of a small team, efficiency is better when you’re small. I suppose with more people, especially skilled and experienced ones, more management might be needed to ensure everything runs smoothly. But it’s not really for me to say.”
The president of FOTA is nonetheless trying to calm everyone’s enthusiasm by stating that things aren’t as bad as they might seem between the teams: “Fortunately, the RRA doesn’t limit the number of technical directors. You can have 20 if you want. We are a lot of people who love competition and there will always be those who speculate on any subject. But generally speaking, we work quite well together.”
With the participation of RacingBusiness.fr
