BARCELONA, Spain — Formula One’s drivers rebuked FIA president Max Mosley on Thursday over his comments that the sport could survive without Ferrari, saying they are worried internal politics are damaging the sport.
Ferrari, which has been involved in all 60 seasons of the motor racing championship, has criticized a proposed budget cap for 2010 that could overhaul the sport by giving those who agree to the voluntary spending limit greater technical freedom.
Ferrari has not threatened to pull out, but Mosley replied to the criticism last week by saying the sport could survive without the Italian icon.
The drivers, however, disagree.
“Without Ferrari it’s not Formula One anymore,” Force India’s Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella said Thursday ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Renault driver Fernando Alonso said a future without the Maranello-based outfit was “impossible,” while BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld said Mosley’s comments seemed out of touch.
“It was a bit strange hearing that from him, because I thought people were looking and listening to fans worldwide. And Ferrari obviously is the biggest name in F1 with the main supporters,” Heidfeld said. “And (Ferrari) has been there since the very beginning, so they belong in F1 for sure.”
Current and former Ferrari drivers preferred not to get involved in what is turning out to be yet another distracting subplot to an exciting season on the track — which Ferrari has failed to make any impact on.
“I think for the moment there are so many political games around Formula One that I don’t want to put myself in the middle,” Ferrari driver Felipe Massa said. “It would be nice to have a better sport, you know. Less political and more sport is all I can say.”
Former Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello refused to answer the question, calling it “polemic.”
Red Bull driver Mark Webber couldn’t understand Mosley’s point on view on either Ferrari or the budget regulations.
“I think the budget cap thing is something that the sport in the future will look at as a way to make it more financially viable. But to have two different regulations, for me as a driver, that’s not attractive at all,” the Australian said. “I want the guy at the other end of the tennis court to have the same racket as me, basically.”
The Formula One Teams Association has asked for urgent talks with the governing body over the newly proposed budget cap, which would allow teams to spend a maximum of $60 million per season in exchange for more technical freedom.
Mosley and the teams have pushed through a number of cost-cutting measures in a bid to keep a sport branded as luxurious from “collapsing.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
