Since 2021, F1 groups have needed to function beneath a funds cap restrict which was launched to place grand prix racing on a extra secure monetary platform.
The proof of the previous few years is that the grid total has closed up, particularly as a result of earlier massive spenders haven’t had the luxurious of throwing extra money at added efficiency to assist them pull clear.
However whereas a better grid total has been constructive, one of many unintended penalties has been that groups at the moment are extra restricted in making amends for errors with their vehicles – as they now not have the spending energy to spend money on intensive revamps.
This has been particularly highlighted this 12 months when each Mercedes and Ferrari knew that their 2023 automotive ideas have been no match for the dominant Pink Bull RB19 – however have been unable to make the sort of overhauls that will have been attainable beneath open spending guidelines.
Reflecting on the influence of the price cap, Tombazis stated that the good points it had delivered had not been with out some downsides.
“The issue with the monetary rules is, on the one hand, they do imply that someone cannot spend thrice greater than someone else, which is nice,” he stated.
“However alternatively, they do additionally imply that when you’re behind someone, you may’t simply throw every thing at it and make an improve.
“In older occasions, some groups would sometimes begin a season and be in a extremely fairly unhealthy place, as a result of they might have perhaps tousled the mission or idea or no matter. They arrive and are humiliated for the primary few races.
“I have been concerned in such a state of affairs, however then you definately simply make a large improve bundle for Barcelona for Canada or one thing, and also you’d nearly redesign the entire automotive like loopy for 3 or 4 months after which be successful races throughout the season.
“The [current] monetary rules restrict the quantity of upgrades you are able to do. So, if someone is additional again, the restoration will be fairly lengthy and painful.”
Photograph by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Pictures
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14, leads Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR23
The imposition of a price cap, which implies crew spending can by no means get uncontrolled, has triggered some ideas over latest months in it permitting F1’s different guidelines to be relaxed.
For with no threat of there being a spending battle if groups got higher freedom with technical guidelines, there’s a perception that F1 would acquire from having a higher number of options.
Tombazis is conscious of the professionals and cons of such a state of affairs, with the FIA having been eager over latest years to make rules ever tighter.
Requested if the philosophy of prescriptive guidelines was one thing to rethink for the brand new period from 2026, Tombazis stated: “There’s a effective line between an excessive amount of limitation – and clearly it is a technological sport, and has to stay so.
“However on that aspect, with an excessive amount of freedom, there’s then doubtlessly very massive gaps between the vehicles, and that is a really tough line to observe.
“Clearly, when you ask an engineer from a crew they are going to say it is an excessive amount of limitation. I am an engineer myself, I’d like it if all vehicles have been a whole technological battle. However we do want to contemplate that there is different components at play which might be essential for the game.
“Moreover, in comparison with the older days, when perhaps there was a bit extra freedom, we have now monetary rules and we have now to additionally attempt to restrict a number of the actions that happen. In any other case you might have groups constructing some benefit by means of an R&D mission of some kind, after which having a bonus for an extended, very long time to return, with no likelihood of different groups catching up with restrictive rules.
“So, there’s this line between freedom and having a aggressive championship, plus the monetary rules put us in a really small spot. So, I do not assume there’s an ideal reply.”
