F1 Cost Reduction: It’s the Nuts Stupid!
Goodby F1. You will be a shell of your former self after what is being called a “landmark” decision reached in of all places - Monte Carlo.
Does anyone beside me find the delicious irony in reaching a cost cutting initiative, by anyone, in a place renowned for monetary excess and ostentatious displays of same?
It could be just me, but I doubt it.
My Christmas wish (Wacky dream!) for a three night stay at Le Meridien Beach Plaza and hot streak at the Monte Carlo Casino aside, Max “The Littlest Perv” Mosley gives an example of why the Wal-Martization of F1 is required.
“A Formula One team spends $1000 for a special wheel nut imported from California and uses 1000 per season, so that produces an overall bill of a million dollars a year.”
He went on to add the use of lighter materials “has created a mentality in Formula One which forces the engineers to refine, as opposed to innovate and that is slowly destroying Formula One. “It’s all very expensive and that’s not really an engineer’s mission.”
Forgive me for asking but, I wonder how many 100’s of thousands of dollars will be spent in weight reduction to compensate for the lump of extra weight known as KERS?
“FIA and FOTA (the Formula One Teams Association) have had the most successful meeting on Formula One matters which any of the participants can remember,” the FIA said in a statement after a meeting in Monaco.
“Agreement was reached on measures to meet all the objectives originally put forward by the FIA for 2010 and thereafter.
“In addition to which FOTA have now made proposals for very significant cost saving in 2009 while maintaining Formula One at the pinnacle of motor sport and reinforcing its appeal,” the statement added.
Why do I get the feeling the sudden and unexpected withdrawal of Honda has turned members of FOTA into a gang of bedwetters that are ripe and ready to except any and everything offered by Mad Max and Bernie “The Gnome” Ecclestone?
That’s also true of the of required number of World Motor Sport Council members who must approve this move on Friday.
UPDATE: File this under, Mad Max you can’t have it both ways!
“But what is wrong with Formula One today was wrong before any of the present economic problems cropped up. Essentially it’s the rules, which have become ever more restrictive compressing the work of the engineers into an ever smaller area,” said “The Littlest Perv” during a keynote address at the Motor Sport Business Forum in Monaco.
OK, I must be real stupid, ’cause I fail to grasp the concept of mandating what amounts to a spec F1 engine and transmission not doing the same thing.
F1 will eventually be a spec formula with those having the financial wherewithal spending their cash on multi-million dollar steering wheels (Nintendo Wii inclusive to keep the drivers entertained as they set new “lap records” around the 15 minute mark), Heads-Up-Display helmets and High-Def in-car cameras.
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What Spanky omitted is that teams sell the used wheel nuts to fans for more than they paid. They throw nothing away.
How can he consistently call for innovation, rules changes, and cost savings at the same time? Innovation requires time, study, and engineering applications which all add up to more $$$$$$, not less.
You’re singing to the choir George. When ya gonna cut a CD?
Well now it appears Max has forced through his cost cutting plan - & all he had to do was get 3 independents (& Renault) to back his spec engine plan.
You have got to hand it to spanky, he knows how to whip these manufacturers into shape.
I’ll reserve giving Spanky any reward extra lash or two at his next S&M session until we see how many teams actually sign up for the Cozzy power plants. My Guess? Not enough, certainly not five including Renault. The more engines Ferrari, Toyota, BMW and MB can make the lower the unit costs. Whoever buys Honda will be getting cheap engines from one of the manufacturers.
I think Cozzy will be locked out. Just another marketing whip by Spanky to conform the team to his wishes relative to cheap engine supplies.
My guess as to the next team to go: Renault.
The dastardly thing about all the “cost savings” for next year is they are drastically reducing personnel by eliminating testing and race day staffing. Does anyone think next years engine will be that less costly to produce than this years? And all of the wind tunnel staff and engineers have also become redundant.
Once again the little guys take it in the “end” to keep Bernie’s income levels ever expanding.
[...] “The Littlest Perv” Mosley (Also known as Spanky by some) president of FIA, had most notably proposed a single engine for all teams, made by [...]