Nov
12th
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Following talks held last weekend in Brazil, Formula 1 smaller teams claim that Bernie Ecclestone proposed the idea of filling up the F1 grid with upgraded GP2 cars.
The sport would move to a two-tier F1 in the future with on one side the usual constructors, and on the other side customer teams that would run upgraded GP2-type single-make cars.
Earlier this season, the fastest GP2 cars (with ballast, restricted engines and different tires) were almost as fast as the Marussias and the Caterhams.
Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley declared the idea had been laid out as a possibility, and that it had increased fears that Bernie Ecclestone wants the smaller teams in financial difficulties out of the sport.
"The clear direction we are getting is that there is a desire to have five constructor teams and five customer teams, which will be the best way that they [the sport's owners] feel to go,” Fernley declared.
Monisha Kaltenborn, director of Sauber, thinks that the vision of a customer scenario like Super GP2 is worrying because it shows Ecclestone and CVC are looking at a future without smaller outfits.
"These things are changing every day. But the fact is it cannot go on like this, it's no way we want to work and can work," Kaltenborn told Autosport magazine.
"The more these ideas are coming up, the more we three get the feeling that maybe some people don't want us to be around and maybe the sport is supposed to be changed in a very different way,” she declared.
The sport would move to a two-tier F1 in the future with on one side the usual constructors, and on the other side customer teams that would run upgraded GP2-type single-make cars.
Earlier this season, the fastest GP2 cars (with ballast, restricted engines and different tires) were almost as fast as the Marussias and the Caterhams.
Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley declared the idea had been laid out as a possibility, and that it had increased fears that Bernie Ecclestone wants the smaller teams in financial difficulties out of the sport.
"The clear direction we are getting is that there is a desire to have five constructor teams and five customer teams, which will be the best way that they [the sport's owners] feel to go,” Fernley declared.
Monisha Kaltenborn, director of Sauber, thinks that the vision of a customer scenario like Super GP2 is worrying because it shows Ecclestone and CVC are looking at a future without smaller outfits.
"These things are changing every day. But the fact is it cannot go on like this, it's no way we want to work and can work," Kaltenborn told Autosport magazine.
"The more these ideas are coming up, the more we three get the feeling that maybe some people don't want us to be around and maybe the sport is supposed to be changed in a very different way,” she declared.