Ferrari’s status as the most powerful team on the grid is being threatened after FIA president Jean Todt revealed their long-held power to veto rule changes in Formula 1 could be revoked.
The Scuderia enjoys a number of privileges as the sport’s most prestigious and longest serving brand, however, two of them, their $100m payment and now the ability to block proposed changes are both being targeted as part of the shakeup by F1 owners Liberty Media.
“When we are going to discuss the renewal of the [Concorde] agreement, it is part of the things which will be discussed,” the former Ferrari boss said, with the current deal expiring in 2020.
This would likely only add fuel to the fire of discontent at Maranello, with chairman Sergio Marchionne already threatening to quit over the proposed engine changes put forward starting, along with the new Concorde Agreement, in 2021.
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Todt remains sure, however, that Ferrari won’t carry out on that threat because the fallout would hurt them as much as F1.
“I don’t want to see Ferrari leaving,” he said. “I’m not sure if it would be a good thing for Ferrari to leave F1 because, why it is a unique brand? It is because it’s such combined between racing and road cars.”
“I think it will be also painful for Ferrari not to be in F1, but that’s not my responsibility anymore. Am I afraid to see Mercedes or Ferrari leave? That’s their choice.”