Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz has warned that the Austrian energy drinks company will pull their teams out of Formula 1, should the budget cap rules for the 2010 World Championship remain as they are.
An optional budget cap of £40 million will be introduced next year by the FIA. Teams who sign up to the cap will be allowed greater technical freedom and other benefits, while those who choose to continue to spend freely will face rule restrictions, generating fears that a ‘two-tier’ championship could be created. Setanta Sports
Mateschitz said: “If the proposed rules for 2010 remain unchanged, we will not enter next year’s championship - and I guess that won’t do for the works teams either.
Click Here For More Formula 1 Photos
“So, possibly, only two, or maybe three, of the existing teams will enter the championship. The conditions for 2010 at the moment make it impossible to sign in. But I hope there will be a meeting and a settlement before the entry deadline.”
Paddock sources at the Circuit de Catalunya on Sunday suggested that there may be only a handful of teams prepared to comply with the International Automobile Federation (FIA)‘s current plans - Brawn GP, Williams and Force India.
They are the only truly independent, old-style racing teams left in the sport.
Any teams wishing to participate in next year’s world championship have until May 29 to agree with the new cost-capping regulations that have aroused so many heated reactions. AFP
However, the FIA’s decision hasn’t gone down well with the sport’s manufacturers, who are against a ‘two-tier’ formula with teams adhering to a cap running to a different set of regulations.
BMW motorsport boss Mario Theissen has questioned their involvement in the sport should the cap in its current form be introduced, while Toyota have warned that they will likely not submit an entry into next year’s championship unless compromises are made.
Click Here For More Formula 1 Photos
Most prominently, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo warned that Formula One is “not a never-ending story” for the Italian marque. SkySports
| 
|