The FIA has clarified that it has no plans to introduce a value cap exemption for Ferrari in System 1, even after granting an analogous exception to Audi.
Beginning in 2026, the fee cap for F1 groups will improve from $135 million USD (roughly £108.1 million GBP) to $215 million USD (£172.2 million GBP). This adjustment displays the added bills related to implementing new technical laws and addressing world inflation.
Audi, set to enter F1 as a works workforce in partnership with Sauber, will function out of the Hinwil manufacturing facility in Switzerland, the place the price of dwelling is considerably greater than within the UK. Consequently, the FIA has accepted an extra value cap improve solely for Audi, a choice that has sparked discontent among the many different 9 groups.
This exception has raised questions on whether or not Ferrari, at the moment the one workforce based mostly outdoors the UK (previous to Cadillac’s anticipated entry), may also obtain an analogous allowance. Nonetheless, FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis has outlined the the reason why the Maranello workforce is not going to be granted an adjustment below the revised value cap guidelines.
Nikolas Tombazis defined to pick out media that the difficulty of wage disparities between groups is extra nuanced, because it includes contemplating the challenges of recruiting personnel from different groups, together with the upper prices related to such strikes. When requested straight whether or not Ferrari would possibly obtain an exemption, he emphasised that the main target ought to stay on nations with considerably greater labor prices, particularly citing Switzerland within the present context.
The racing automotive designer went on for example his level with a metaphor, suggesting that in a “democracy” the place there are 9 wolves and one sheep, it turns into clear who holds the bulk. Whereas stressing the significance of equity and consensus, Nikolas Tombazis acknowledged the problem of attaining the required degree of workforce assist for changes geared toward equity throughout the extremely aggressive setting of System 1. He concluded by reiterating that guaranteeing equity stays a basic accountability for the FIA.
FIA Clarifies Determination on Ferrari Exemption
Nikolas Tombazis elaborated on how System 1’s governing physique arrived at its choice to grant Audi an elevated value cap, emphasizing that the transfer was primarily pushed by issues of equity towards the incoming workforce. He additional assured that the FIA would preserve full transparency with the opposite groups, addressing considerations that any facet of the method is perhaps perceived as clandestine or unfair.
Nikolas Tombazis defined that the FIA acknowledged vital disparities in salaries and dwelling prices throughout totally different nations, utilizing his personal expertise dwelling in Geneva for instance, the place even routine grocery store visits spotlight the difficulty.
He famous that below an equal value cap, a workforce based mostly in a high-labor-cost nation like Switzerland would face a drawback, probably having 30% to 40% fewer personnel engaged on the automotive. This imbalance, he said, was essentially unfair.
From the FIA’s perspective, Nikolas Tombazis added, such a scenario might render groups in high-cost areas unsustainable, forcing operations like Sauber to both relocate or stop operations altogether—an final result the FIA deemed unsuitable for a world championship.
He outlined that changes to the monetary laws for 2026 would deal with this challenge by factoring labor value variations into the fee cap calculations. Nikolas Tombazis defended the change as totally honest and emphasised that the FIA would improve transparency across the regulation to reassure groups involved about potential underhanded practices. He expressed confidence that no affordable doubts could possibly be raised in regards to the equity of this strategy.
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