Nov.25 (GMM) The boss of F1’s smallest group, Haas, has hit out at plans to permit Audi-owned Sauber to spend greater than its rivals beneath the funds cap.
A month in the past, it emerged that as a result of wage payments and the price of dwelling are increased in Switzerland in comparison with the UK and Italy, Audi ought to be permitted to spend extra.
A number of the different 9 groups are predictably sad, however as a result of the 2026 Concorde Settlement just isn’t but agreed or signed, the FIA is free to design the Audi-specific provision.
“In any other case, it might be like attempting to type a democracy out of 9 wolves and one sheep,” stated the FIA’s single seater boss Nikolas Tombazis lately.
The group boss who’s most vocal in his opposition to the Audi provision, nevertheless, is Ayao Komatsu – boss of Method 1’s smallest group of all, Haas.
“Why ought to a group based mostly in Switzerland have an exception?” he’s quoted as saying by Ekstra Bladet newspaper in Las Vegas. “You select the place you may have your headquarters. And costs are additionally totally different between London, Oxford and the north of England, so the place is the road?
“I keep in mind after we tried to rent somebody from Sauber, however this man beloved the mountains and snowboarding and didn’t wish to transfer to England,” the Japanese added. “That type of factor additionally comes into play.
“I feel it is extremely harmful and really one-dimensional to have a look at the worth of a beer and say that it’s costlier right here, so that’s the reason you get an exemption,” Komatsu continued.
He additionally says there are price of dwelling variations between the UK, the place a lot of the groups are based mostly, and Italy, the place Ferrari and Pink Bull’s second group RB name dwelling.
“We’ve got amenities in Italy too,” Komatsu famous. “The place do you cease? I don’t keep in mind the precise guidelines, however in Italy there are additionally some huge tax benefits. So do you’re taking that under consideration as effectively?
“Except you have a look at each single element, it’s exhausting to do justice. And is it even doable? I doubt it.
“I don’t wish to criticise the FIA an excessive amount of, however have a look at what is occurring with the sporting guidelines such ‘observe limits’ and the like. The extra you attempt to outline the small print, the harder they develop into to deal with and also you create new issues.
“I feel it’s higher to maintain issues easy,” he insisted.
