Team's deputy chief says F1's cost concerns not being addressed
Friday 6 February 2015 15:07, UK
Force India's Bob Fernley has warned that Formula 1's small teams continue to face a "tough time" but is confident his own outfit will overcome their current problems.
The ever-thorny issue of F1 costs was thrust back into the spotlight in the closing weeks of last season when backmarkers Caterham and Marussia went into administration within days of each other and the three remaining smallest teams on the grid - Lotus, Sauber and Force India - argued for changes to the sport’s financial model.
Three months on, and with the futures of the two in-administration outfits remaining bleak, focus continues to be placed on the wider health of the grid with a number of 2015 cars bereft of sponsors when they ran at the Jerez test.
Amid problems with suppliers and fresh speculation over their future, Force India’s own 2015 car has yet to take to the track with the new VJM08 not set to be ready until the final Barcelona test - although the team have insisted their participation at the season-opening Australian GP is not under threat.
Fernley, Force India’s Deputy Team Principal, admits the situation continues to be challenging.
"It would be wrong for me to say we’re all having a wonderful time - we're having a tough time and costs are rising," he told Sky Sports News HQ.
"The income distribution is very well documented and none of that is being addressed."
Amid their own struggles, Force India have received stinging criticism from fans on social media for voting against Marussia’s proposal to return to the grid with a year-old car. Fernley has stressed, however, that Force India were asked to vote first on the matter in Thursday's F1 Strategy Group meeting and that with unanimity required for the motion to pass, their no vote meant it was therefore immediately rejected.
Fernley was outspoken in his criticism of F1’s financial situation at the end of last season but insists Marussia’s case to run a 2014 car had to be assessed in isolation.
"It's very critical. We’ve not made any secret of the issues involved in Formula 1, but that had nothing to do with the decision on Marussia," he said.
"Force India is very supportive of the smaller teams and a leader in trying to maintain them all, so there's a lot of empathy and a lot of sympathy for Marussia, but the onus is on them to be able to demonstrate what they can do. So we have to make those decisions independently.
"Have we got some of our own issues? Yes we have, but we’ll deal with those."
The Sky Sports F1 Online team will be providing live commentary from all four days of both Barcelona tests. Sky Sports News HQ will also have live updates from trackside.
