Breaking news
Formula 1
Force India angered by push for customer cars
Force India has expressed its frustration over the push for third cars and ultimately customer cars that was voted through at yesterday's F1 Strategy Group meeting.
Adam Cooper
Edited: May 15, 2015, 2:08 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Although not specifically outlined in today's FIA statement – there was only a reference to “a comprehensive proposal to ensure the sustainability of the sport” – plans for a proper study of how customer cars would work were supported, despite opposition from the Force India's representative, deputy team principal Bob Fernley.
The Silverstone outfit has a presence in the Strategy Group after finishing as the 'best of the rest' in the 2014 World Championship, and as such is in effect the only team representing the interests of its fellow struggling independents, namely Sauber, Lotus and Manor.
All want to continue as constructors in their own right, and regard any move towards an alternative future as a threat.
"No interest in cost controls"
“There was no interest at all from the manufacturer teams in discussing anything to do with cost controls or more equitable income distribution,” Fernley told Motorsport.com. “It was completely abandoned in favour of the customer cars.
“In some ways it makes things abundantly clear where F1 is going. We've suspected that customer cars were wanted for quite some time, but this is the first time that it's really moving through as the only alternative as far as the manufacturer teams are concerned.
“It's not finalised as to what the package is, but there's a clear process that's going to happen now. If any teams fail, the manufacturer teams will run a third car, and in the meantime they will get on with putting together a proposal and a format for customer cars.
“Their intention would be to give the independent teams first refusal on those to see if they want to switch from being a constructor to a customer car team.
“However there will be significant downsides to that, as you can imagine. But the devil will be in the detail. In the mean time we've got to determine the direction that we want to go on in and look at how we protect our position.”
Are customer cars viable?
Fernley doesn't believe that supplying customer cars would work for the big teams: “The question will be whether it's even viable to have a customer car programme? That's the bit that they've got to prove.
“They are adamant that it is, but I'm not convinced on that, and that would be the best way of putting it, I think. The independent teams are not involved in any of the solutions.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article FIA statement: F1 plans faster cars and thrilling races
Next article Refuelling to return to F1 in 2017
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Adam Cooper
RB: Tsunoda “mentally on a different level” in 2024
Formula 1
Formula 1
Japanese GP
RB: Tsunoda “mentally on a different level” in 2024
Andretti planning F2 and F3 entries to promote US talent to F1 team
Formula 1
Formula 1
Andretti planning F2 and F3 entries to promote US talent to F1 team
Andretti F1 team formally opens new Silverstone facility
Formula 1
Formula 1
Andretti F1 team formally opens new Silverstone facility
More from
Sauber
You Ask The Questions: Robert Kubica
Formula 1
You Ask The Questions: Robert Kubica
Lewis Hamilton 'almost signed for Sauber' before F1 debut, says Peter Sauber
Formula 1
Formula 1
Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Lewis Hamilton 'almost signed for Sauber' before F1 debut, says Peter Sauber
F1 2025 season highlights: Fans crown Nico Hulkenberg's podium and Lando Norris's title as top moments
Formula 1
Formula 1
F1 2025 season highlights: Fans crown Nico Hulkenberg's podium and Lando Norris's title as top moments
Latest news
Frankie Muniz offers new details on 2027 NASCAR plans
NASCAR Truck
NSTR NASCAR Truck
Talladega
9 min
Frankie Muniz offers new details on 2027 NASCAR plans
Joan Mir remains on the sidelines as Honda forced to race with one rider in Australia
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Australian GP
21 min
Joan Mir remains on the sidelines as Honda forced to race with one rider in Australia
The figures that show Mercedes has lost its supremacy in F1 2026
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
1 h
The figures that show Mercedes has lost its supremacy in F1 2026
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe