Formula 1 is planning a radical change of course

The power struggle over the future of Formula 1 is entering the decisive rounds. The heavyweights of the racing business will meet in London on Tuesday and what will be decided is little less than a revolution for the fast-moving industry. Also because Formula 1 has to justify the expensive frenzy more than ever, rule enforcers, marketers and teams are struggling to find the basis for the continuation of the horsepower spectacle.

Jean Todt, the president of the world association FIA, has already announced a lot of movement: “The budget cap is coming, new vehicle regulations are coming, new engine regulations are coming, we will have a different distribution of money.”

Less costs, more action The new framework should apply to the premier class of motorsport from 2021. The deadline for an agreement is the end of June at the latest. The goal is to drastically reduce the costs of racing, increase competition and action on the track and use more modern technology to counteract accusations of being an environmental offender. A significant course correction seems urgently needed.

But FIA boss Todt doesn't want to let the obviously dwindling interest in Formula 1 stand. “In general, I would say: I haven't felt so much fresh air in Formula 1 for years,” emphasizes the 73-year-old Frenchman, who once directed Michael Schumacher's record drives as Ferrari team boss.

Formula 1950 has been running since 1. This season, 21 races are planned on five continents. The top teams Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull are spending hundreds of millions of euros on the roundabout. Smaller racing teams are permanently left behind. The technical rules are highly complex and understandable for very few fans. Cheaper, more exciting, simpler – that is the vision of the Formula 1 makers.

To do this, they want to impose a budget limit that would force the big teams in particular to make cuts and slow them down. Less aerodynamic gimmicks should be possible and the chances of overtaking should be increased in this way. But do the industry giants in particular agree? “We have made good progress and are moving in a general direction with everything,” says Formula 1 boss Chase Carey. Red Bull threatens to exit The debate is likely to remain sensitive. The racing teams are only bound to Formula 2020 by the basic contract until the end of 1. Red Bull has recently repeatedly threatened to exit if the new agreement does not meet the beverage company's expectations.

The all-electric Formula E racing series presents itself as a clean alternative. The car manufacturers BMW and Audi are already there with a works team, Porsche and Mercedes will follow next season. The electric-powered cars race through metropolises such as Hong Kong, New York, Rome and Paris - always on the green route. However, many people in Formula 1 point out that the generation of electricity in power plants is by no means as clean as the beautiful advertising for Formula E would have you believe. On the trail of Formula E? With a consumption of around 150 liters of petrol per race, the ecological balance of a Formula 1 car is also rather questionable. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff countered that the idea was too short-sighted. The Austrian emphasizes that the high efficiency of the engines and the highly developed energy recovery systems in the cars are also groundbreaking for series production. The emissions from large container ships, global air traffic, the plastic in the oceans – all of this is much worse for the environment than Formula 1.

At home, Wolff can put this argument to the test. As the 47-year-old recently revealed, his two children from his first marriage skipped school in mid-March - and took part in the global protests of many young people for more climate protection.

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Formula 1 is planning a radical change of course

Formula 1 urgently needs to set the course for the future. Rules enforcers and marketers want to give the racing series a new framework. The goal: cheaper, more exciting, easier – and somehow also environmentally conscious.

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