Formula One could introduce a number of standardized parts as a way to cut costs.
Unlike many other forms of motorsport, F1 teams have control over almost every component of the car and aren’t forced to use standard parts, like the Dallara chassis or 2018 aero kits used in IndyCar for example. As a result, the sport is extremely expensive with Motorsport reporting Ferrari spent $387 million on the sport in 2016.
“We’re not looking to standardise the car – we think it is very important to continue to have a sport that is competition married to state of the art technologies,” said F1 chief executive Chase Carey. “We’re not looking to dumb the cars down, but I think we can standardise components of it.”
According to Liberty Media’s sporting chief Ross Brawn, parts that could be standardized would be those that fans can’t differentiate, such as suspension parts.
Carey ultimately believes that by introducing certain standard parts, the disparity between what bigger teams and smaller teams spend on their vehicles could be reduced, therefore helping to improve competition.
“One of the challenges we have today is there are a handful of teams that clearly spend at a level that’s much different from the others, and you can see the results on the track.
“So if we can bring the costs into an area where they are more comparable – not equal – to each other, it can enhance competition and would make the economics of the business much better,” he said.
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