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Monaco GP: Thursday Press Conference

NEWS STORY
22/05/2008

A question to all of you about next year, about the future of Formula One in many ways. Budget capping, KERS, next year's regulations, whatever you would like to talk about?
Christian Horner: I think obviously the challenges of next year are considerable. It is a massive change in regulations, obviously heavily impacting the mechanical and aerodynamic side of the car and the first stage of the KERS system, so it is a big technical challenge. One of the factors that as an independent team, and to a greater or lesser extent I am sure the other teams are trying to balance, is how much resource they commit at this time of year compared to continually developing the current car which is effectively obsolete technology for next year. Slick tyres, KERS, different aero, it is almost a different formula.

How much investment are you putting into KERS for example? Or do you leave that to your engine supplier?
CH: We are working very closely with our engine partner on that. It makes sense as part of the drive-train solution to follow the route that Renault are pursuing. We are working hand in hand with them on the solution, but it is a complex solution and there are some real engineering challenges to integrate it within the chassis and also safely.

Stefano, your thoughts on the future.
Stefano Domenicali: I think I can cut and paste what Christian said about the first point. For sure it is a big challenge for all of us and we are in a situation where we are now fully concentrated and devoted to the development of the actual car but of course we need to, the more and more the time goes on, to concentrate above all on the aerodynamic and design office on the new car. Then, with regards to the KERS project, it is a massive project that we are working very hard on. For sure it is a big, big challenge we face and I have to say there are important points to resolve. We have also the responsibility to be able to offer to our customers something that performance-wise has to be important for them, so it is a big, big challenge. It is very difficult but for sure very important to be able to fight for the championship next year.

Doctor Mallya, your thoughts particularly on budget capping.
Vijay Mallya: I have been very clear in my mind that small independent teams like Force India would welcome a budget cap otherwise the difference between independent teams like ourselves and the teams that are backed by big automobile manufacturers will only widen as time goes on. Take the KERS system for example that we just talked about. I am determined that it really is not worth our while to try and develop a KERS system on our own, so since we currently use the Ferrari engine I am dependent on Stefano for the KERS system and I am hoping he will give it to me at an affordable price. Whether it is KERS or whether it is the 2009 car itself I am, for one, a huge supporter of the initiative to cut the costs.

Gerhard, your thoughts.
Gerhard Berger: Vijay, you did not have the last message from Stefano. He gives it to us free for next year. Did he not tell you that yet.

VM: Fantastic, you heard that right.

GB: Well, I think it is very clear in F1 that a budget cut is more than welcome. Budgets are going through the roof and I think it should be reduced by a big way. But it is always through which glass you see it. If you look through the glasses of a manufacturer you have a completely different view than an independent team. But for teams like us and Force India and Williams it is very, very difficult to get on the markets the budgets that you need to be competitive. It is a very important role that the FIA has to play to find the right compromise, so that F1 in the end ends up again with 24 or 26 cars instead of 20 or maybe 18 and having a nice full field with competitive cars from the beginning to near the end. It is going to be very difficult to find the right rule, but sure it has to happen and it is going to be good. On KERS we are fully relying on Ferrari and hoping we get the right support from Ferrari for next year and using a Ferrari KERS system.

Adam, you are in an interesting situation with KERS in particular, but also your thoughts on budget capping and anything else about 2009.
Adam Parr: As Christian said, 2009 is going to be a phenomenal challenge I think for all the teams with the changes that are coming up, but for us it is actually rather exciting. Whether it is on KERS, the new aerodynamic regulations or indeed budget capping we think there is a kind of rather exciting revolution going on at the moment. The sport is thinking very strategically about where it is going. The need to be seen to make a contribution on the issue of climate change, which is obviously a very important issue for everyone at the moment, is something which I think we are making a contribution to. A genuine contribution. And from an engineering points of view it is very exciting after years of relative stability to have a very challenging new project, so Patrick (Head – Director of Engineering) and Sam (Michael – Technical Director) and our engineers are relishing it although we don't have, needless to say, as much resources available to do it as we would like but nonetheless it is exciting. I think on the environmental side, on the KERS side, on the engineering challenge it is very welcome. Budget capping is still a moot point. We haven't quite got there yet but we believe very strongly that it is essential for the future of the sport. Just for your reference we are probably spending three times more than we did 10 years ago and as you probably know there are teams that are probably spending three times as much again as we can afford to do. We just do not think that is sustainable for anybody in the sport.

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