Manufacturers wash out with the tide
November 10th 2009 02:03
This is consequential for F1, and in particular, the Japanese exodus implies grave concern
But it is not as bad as all that. It is simply a natural cycle of the sport. Privateer teams began disappearing off the grid throughout early in the new millennium – and the crisis calls were no different than today. Benetton became Renault, Ford bought Stewart and named it Jaguar, Honda consumed BAR, BMW took over Sauber and Toyota built their operation from scratch. All this occurred in the last decade, during a period of great economic growth. But nobody would describe the years previous as a crisis era, even though it was an era where privateers or corporate ventures controlled the teams and manufacturers would only supply engines (with the constant exception of Ferrari).
It appears we are simply seeing a similar era return – an era that both precedes and follows times when manufacturers “come and go,” as former FIA president Max Mosely put it. The issue of outrageous and unsustainable spending that topped F1’s agenda for years was what characterises manufacturer involvement in the sport. Flush with cash from booming economic times – a wave of carmakers will surge into F1, empty their wallets – occasionally succeed – and then when budgets feel the inevitable squeeze, they recede back out into the corporate ocean. It’s a cycle that has happened many times during F1’s history. From the formative years, to the turbo era to the millennium boom to now. The privateers, however, less directly affected by the global economy, remain constant. They exist to race. Disappointing as it is, we should not consider the manufacturer exodus as a crisis. Instead, we should be preparing ourselves for another golden era of racing ruled by racing teams. Until the next wave rolls in.
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