In 2021 Formula 1Formula 1 is the pinnacle of open-wheel, single-seater car racing and arguably the highest level of any motorsport globally. Also... There's more... introduced a cost cap
The cost cap, or budget cap, is the amount of money a team can spend on the car's performance in... There's more... to limit the amount of money a team can spend in a single season, referred to as the cost cap.
The cost cap was imposed at $145,000,000.00 in 2021 and is reduced by $5.0m per year for the next two years to settle at $135,000,000.00. It does have a mechanism to adjust for inflation.
This budget is for all performance aspects of the team but excludes driverOK, so we all know what the driver is, right. I've always liked the description that F1 drivers are like... There's more... salaries and non-performance items like marketing, entry fees and travel. It also excludes the salaries of the three top paid team members.
The cost cap also excludes the engine supply.
The intention of this is to level the playing fieldThe field is a reference to the full grid of cars, from pole to the backmarkers. Consider it in the... There's more... where, previously, the big teams have had significant financial resources allowing them to replace parts or develop their cars at a rapid pace throughout the season. The smaller teams with limited resources were then further penalised and had less chance of competing on a level playing field.
And remember, this is a cap on the teams spending, there will be teams who’s budgets remain well below this level.
While the cost cap had been in planning for some time, its implimentation in 2022 was possibly a critical factor to the sustainability of the sport during the global pandemic.
Get a detailed explanation in Anna Duxbury’s Autosport article here
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