- McLaren
Dennis: Smaller teams need financial self-discipline
Ron Dennis says smaller teams need financial self-discipline rather than a cost cap to ensure they remain in Formula One.
The cost crisis and unequal revenue sharing between the teams came to the surface last October when Caterham and Marussia fell into administration. The small teams continue to lobby for a more equal share of the money coming into F1, with a cost cap mooted for the 2015 season scuppered last year by the Strategy Group, which includes McLaren.
McLaren CEO Dennis does not think a cost cap would change anything and believes the smaller teams needs to look at the example set by how the competitive teams spend their money.
"It happens year on year on year on year, Formula One teams spend the money they've got, and they always will," Dennis said. "They'll find new ways to spend money that you wouldn't even believe, if they've got it. The actual cost constraint has to be exercised by the senior management of a Formula One team, cost constraints can't be controlled by an outside entity.
"You've got to decide what you're going to spend because it doesn't matter people impose on you, if you want to spend more money this is a sport that will absorb anything you want to spend it on. It's self-discipline of the teams that is required."
Dennis thinks the push for a budget cap is governed by self-interest on the part of the smaller outfits.
"Most of the small teams, when you discuss with them quietly and rationally, their argumentation of where costs should be saved is very, very dimly camouflaged because what they're really saying is 'if we impose this cost constraint on you, the big teams, you'll be more competitive'. The argument is usually focused on things they haven't got, rather than saving money.
"A cracked gramophone record would say you can compete or you can be competitive. It's such a big multiple - three times more to be competitive than it is to compete. People are competing, you're never going to be competitive by trying to impose cost control on those who spend three times as much. How are you going to make them competitive if the ground figure is 50 [million pounds] and we're spending 150?"
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