Contrasting comments from Renault, Ferrari and Williams are highlighting the difficulties teams are facing in preparing for 2021.
Next year teams face a tricky dilemma planning how much time and money they will invest into improving their 2020 car while trying to capitalise on the all-new regulations for the following season.
That is particularly true for Renault, who see the sweeping changes as their best chance to close the gap to the front of the grid but, as advisor and four-time Formula 1 champion Alain Prost explained…
“The top teams have the money for two programs. Even if they continue to develop normally for 2020, they still have a budget for 2021 that is the same as ours for both years together,” he told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.
“We can then prepare for 2021 under the same conditions as the top teams, but then you have to make an important decision now. A team like Renault cannot just sacrifice a season, we will still have to be reasonable.”
F1 motorsport director Ross Brawn played down Prost’s fears that top teams could almost double up on investment, pointing to the limit on windtunnel time available under the regulations.
But now comments from Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto appear to back up the Frenchman’s concern.
“Yes, it will be significantly more expensive,” he said of 2020. “The budget we’ve got available is the one that’s needed.
“Certainly, the number of projects in parallel is significantly more compared to the past. We all started very early [on the 2021 car].
“So yes, there will be significant extra budget next year, not only about money but resources – extra people would be required to run the programs.
“I think it’s got to be a situation to be managed right now.”
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At the other end of the grid, however, Williams is having to essentially consider 2020 as an extension of 2019.
“For us, it is a real challenge back at the factory, trying to run those two programs, for next year and for 2021,” deputy boss Claire Williams told Crash.net.
“Really we’re looking at 2019 and 2020 as one long campaign.
“So, it is difficult – but we wanted the 2021 regulations to come in. We lobbied hard for them, so we’ve just got to deal with the problem head on and do the best job that we can.
“I think everyone in the pit lane is going to have a challenge on their hands. I think it will be slightly easier for the top three teams with bigger budgets.”