Formula 1, often regarded as the world’s richest sport, is planning to secure a long-term future and we tried to find out how. Ross Brawn, sport’s managing director, along with the technical chief Pat Symonds explained to us their strategies to make the sports more road relevant.
Formula 1 and the automotive industry have had a changing relationship over the years, but you can’t deny the connection between them. Car manufacturers have to take extreme measures to handle the recent climate situation through electrification and the use of new technologies. F1 needs to follow in their footsteps or it won’t be road-relevant anymore as it used to be.
The F1’s engines are provided by four manufacturers, sometimes called the power unites, because they contain a 1.6-liter turbo V6 and an electric motor. Honda is one of these four and it has decided to stop supplying the engines from the next year as it aims to focus on achieving carbon-neutrality by 2047. So, from the next year Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes-AMG would supply the engines.
The sport’s financial situation is much better now, as they have imposed a cost cap, which means there will be a fair distribution of prize money. The chassis regulations are expected to change from next year. This puts the attention on engine technology. In 2015, we will see the next-generation power unit. It is likely to have a lifespan of a decade or more.
The managing director Ross Brawn is a part of this process, he was also associated with Mercedes and Ferrari and had a successful run there. He wants the sport to provide the appropriate marketing and technical ground to manufacturer. While keeping the sporting product quality a priority. He says they want to achieve both; provide an entertaining championship and an environment where the brands can enhance. They are trying to involve manufacturers in this process, which is a change of approach. It’s not the first time they are doing this, but the approach is completely different now.