The recent outcome of budget cap talks shows Ferrari’s willingness to work together with other teams in the best interest of Formula 1.
For years, the Italian team has been seen as this single mighty force that would get its own way whether it be through their veto power or, if that didn’t work, simply threatening to quit F1 to get the same result.
Since the appointment of John Elkann as chairman and Louis Camilleri in 2018, however, Ferrari’s stance has been less combative and that was acknowledged by current team boss Mattia Binotto.
“At first I believe that there [should be] discussion on the approach, having an open discussion, a collaborative approach,” he said in an interview with RaceFans.
“Using the veto sometimes is not the right way of approaching the exercise. Having discussions, trying to find the right compromise is the way to move on at first. I think that’s the way we work [now].”
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Binotto then explained how that approach was taken in talks over the budget cap, as Ferrari moved to stop efforts by the likes of McLaren to reduce the financial limit to as little as $120m.
“The budget cap reducing to $120m, this decision should have been made in a week, it took more than a week because Ferrari insisted on the fact that we need to really go deeper on the numbers, to analyse [them], to basically proactively support the discussion towards the conclusion we [reached],” he said.
“So, I think [to collaborate] is the first approach we should always have [it], and the veto is only something at the end [of the process] if you are completely against what’s happening.
“The second point, as I said before, it’s a matter of sense of responsibility, that the good of F1 is the good of Ferrari and the good of Ferrari is the good of F1, vice-versa,” Binotto added.
“So I think it’s not a battle. We are not on opposite positions. We need to collaborate on the right solution.”
Ultimately a final compromise of $145m was approved and the Ferrari boss is comfortable with what was agreed.
“It’s not simply a decision based on a number. The first implication for us was our work, our employees in term of employment. We feel strongly that’s our social responsibility as Ferrari, and our first objective was to protect our employees,” Binotto noted.
“$145m with some exclusions, that has been a good compromise. So, it was not an emotional final conclusion, it was a conclusion which suited the teams and certainly ourselves because we took time [to discuss it].
“I cannot say that I’m fully happy with the solution because now the exercise is certainly very difficult but I’m happy considering where the discussion started.”