08/04/2020
NEWS STORY
As F1 seeks how best to get the season underway once, indeed if, the coronavirus pandemic is declared over and normality can return, Ferrari has said that it will be flexible in terms what is eventually proposed, be it two day race weekends, back-to-back events, two race weekends or whatever.
"We know from the sporting regulations that to have a World Championship you need at least eight races," Mattia Binotto told Sky Sports, "but everyone is trying to look for more than that. I think what will be important for us is really to be flexible.
"I'm pretty sure Chase and the teams will be capable of putting together the best championship we can have," he continued. "From our side, we are ready for whatever is needed whether short race weekends, double races, whenever it will finish or packing the races together. It is important to be flexible and making sure we can have good races as well for the fans."
Asked if he has any idea when the season might finally get underway, yesterday witnessing the postponement of the Canadian Grand Prix scheduled for 14 June, he said: "I think it is very difficult to answer. No one can really know.
"F1 is certainly trying to organise the best season," he continued, "maybe starting early July if that would be possible but we cannot have any confirmation at the moment. But I think by the end of May we will have a clearer picture.
"I think it is in the interests of everyone to start racing when we can, when that will be possible, and have as many races as we can but I think now it's too early to have a clear picture of what will be the future."
With a team bosses conference earlier in the week seeing disagreement over the proposed budget cap, Ferrari and Red Bull suggesting the bigger teams should be allowed to spend more due to the fact that they develop components used by their customer teams, Binotto insists that a 'one size fits all' cap is the wrong way to go.
"Certainly it is a concern," he said. "We are fully aware of the difficulties of some teams and we are fully aware we need to address costs for the future of F1, reducing costs is the first driver of making sure each single team is surviving.
"We are discussing a budget-cap reduction but we should not forget in doing that exercise that we've got different structures, and different assets," he continued. "There are teams which are constructors like Ferrari and other top teams where we are designing, developing, homologating and producing each single component of our cars. Other teams are customers, buying some parts, and do not have the same structures.
"So when discussing a budget cap we must not forget we have different situations, and it's important we found a common ground which is suited to the different situations and maybe the answer is not a single budget cap equal for all the teams.
"I think we should avoid being emotional at the moment," he warned. "We know that we will face difficult situations but we need as well to somehow maintain the DNA and the essence of F1, which is competition, and we should not forget that about F1 and motorsport.
"So I think it's important to look at the details but make a rational decision which has been based on considerations and not emotions."