Ferrari: Bernie Ecclestone Calls out Ferrari’s Bluff over F1 Exit Threats
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Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone opened up on Ferrari recently threatening to leave the sport. Ecclestone revealed that the Italian team could walk away from F1 and not look back. Bernie also spoke about the Maranello outfit’s influence over the sport.
Ecclestone on a possible Ferrari exit
F1 is in the midst of an ongoing budget cap debate for 2021 and beyond. The sport will enforce a financial ceiling on teams’ expenditure on car development from next year. As things stand, the current budget cap sits at $175M.
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With COVID-19 causing a financial crisis, the smaller teams want a revised budget cap to level the playing field. Allegedly, teams have agreed to a cost cap of $150M for now, but the midfield wants a bigger reduction. This has led to a stalemate and the top 3 teams are at odds with other teams over the sport’s finances.
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When quizzed on agreeing to a lower cap, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto hinted at the team walking away from the sport if F1 decides to lower the cost cap by a bigger margin. Ferrari believes a lower spending limit would result in layoffs and put the bigger teams at a disadvantage.
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However, this isn’t the first time Ferrari has threatened to leave Formula 1 over disagreements.
Ecclestone reflected on the issue and believes the Maranello outfit is an integral part of F1. Speaking to Autocar, Bernie said:
“If Ferrari wanted to leave, then they should have done it. They never did, and as it happens I have only fond memories of Mr. Ferrari. He always told me what was really going on, even when he was busy telling everyone else the opposite.”
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“ I think F1 without Ferrari isn’t at all good. And Ferrari’s brand is so strong that they could walk away from F1 and still be huge. Even when they aren’t winning in F1, you could ask a man in the street who won the world title and he would just say, Ferrari.”
Imagining Formula 1 without the Scuderia almost seems like an impossible proposition. The red team epitomizes history, nostalgia, and passion – attributes that are very important to Formula 1. While F1 can survive without Ferrari, its influence is undeniable.
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