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[bud]

It's quality not quantity. The brains behind the cars success werent extra Marketing reps or cooks or the like.

[spankyham]

It's quality not quantity. The brains behind the cars success werent extra Marketing reps or cooks or the like.

Agree with the quality not quantity, but, to me, it would be an unfair advantage if they were using lots more engineers to work on their car than the other teams who were in with a chance.

[spankyham]

This is very welcome and extra good news for F1!

RBR denies overspending in 2010

Red Bull Racing has dismissed suggestions it overspent last year and breached Formula 1's Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA), as behind-the-scenes efforts continue to try and frame fresh cost restraints for 2011.

Members of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) have been pushing hard in recent weeks to sign off a fresh RRA to run from 2011-2017, after the outline framework for such a deal was agreed at last year's Singapore Grand Prix.

Those efforts have so far failed, however, amid a lack of consensus about amendments to the original deal. These are understood to include which areas of teams' spending should be within the RRA, including KERS development; how long the period of review for overspending should be, and how any penalties for overspending should be dealt with.

Sources suggest that Red Bull Racing has been particularly vocal in the most recent FOTA meetings about clamping down on areas of spending outside the RRA, and in pushing for changes in the review period for overspending and how penalties are dealt with when there is a breach.

That stance prompted former FIA president Max Mosley to suggest at the end of last year that the only reason Red Bull Racing may have wanted such changes was because it overspent on its way to the title double last year.

Mosley told Auto Motor Und Sport before Christmas: "Red Bull asked for an exception. If that's true, that can only mean they spent more than they were allowed, and now they're asking for the [other] teams' approval. I am interested to know how their opponents are going to react."

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner insists, however, that such claims of overspend are wide of the mark.

He says that his team came within the budget limit that it agreed to for 2010, with teams' accounts having now been lodged with FOTA, and that any push it is making for changes is simply because it wants the RRA to be fair for everyone.

"The RRA has been a positive thing for Formula 1 - as it has genuinely saved costs," Horner told AUTOSPORT.

"Contrary to speculation, we completely adhered to the RRA within 2010 - and Red Bull Racing had only perhaps the third or fourth-largest budget in Formula 1. We've achieved great efficiency in reducing the headcount versus our external spend.

"We are all in favour of containing costs moving forward, and the RRA is a good way of achieving that - as long as it is consistent, fair, equitable and transparent across all the activities of all the teams. We don't want to turn the formula into a power-train dictated championship.

"It is much like squeezing a balloon. You don't want to squeeze one end of it only to find that all the air is simply shooting to another position."

When the framework for the current RRA was agreed at last year's Singapore Grand Prix it was hailed as a major breakthrough for the teams - because there had been a danger of the cost plans falling apart.

If no agreement is reached on the current deal, then teams will in theory have to revert to operating under the original RRA - which ran from 2010 through 2012.

Speaking about the deal that was agreed in Singapore, FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh said last year: "I think it was a good step forward in terms of trying to manage the resources in F1 and trying to create stability, and an improvement on that approach."

Further meetings of FOTA's leading members will be held before the start of the season to try and gain a consensus and get the new RRA into place.

FOTA secretary general Simone Perillo declined to comment on the state of negotiations regarding the RRA, but told AUTOSPORT he was "confident an agreement will be reached."

[darwin dali]

So MM was as usual full of shi!e

[Jensonb]

So MM was as usual full of shi!e

What else is new?

[darwin dali]

So MM was as usual full of shi!e

What else is new?

Hence the term 'as usual'

[Jensonb]

So MM was as usual full of shi!e

What else is new?

Hence the term 'as usual'

I wasn't correcting you, I was piling on.

[spankyham]

Yet another media article on this story.

For me, what's interesting is MM isn't on his own with this claim any more. And, an amount has been mentioned, Euro 60 Million. Now that is a huge overspend for one year.

It was reported that FOTA had already reached their new agreement in Singapore last year. Yet now we are being told that they can't agree to sign it. The article implies that Red Bull won't sign because, they would have to make up for their 60 million over spending. It also says Mercedes is might overspend on KERS development.

I don't think this is conclusive against RB yet, but, the pressure is mounting. Italian and Spanish media and Virgin CEO Graeme Lowden's comments. I'm sure if there is something to it, it's going to come out and probably pretty soon.

As I said before, if they did overspend, and it was by that much, then, for me, it seriously tarnishes their championships.

[Jensonb]

Yet another media article on this story.

For me, what's interesting is MM isn't on his own with this claim any more. And, an amount has been mentioned, Euro 60 Million. Now that is a huge overspend for one year.

It was reported that FOTA had already reached their new agreement in Singapore last year. Yet now we are being told that they can't agree to sign it. The article implies that Red Bull won't sign because, they would have to make up for their 60 million over spending. It also says Mercedes is might overspend on KERS development.

I don't think this is conclusive against RB yet, but, the pressure is mounting. Italian and Spanish media and Virgin CEO Graeme Lowden's comments. I'm sure if there is something to it, it's going to come out and probably pretty soon.

As I said before, if they did overspend, and it was by that much, then, for me, it seriously tarnishes their championships.

I agree, if it's true it stinks to high heaven. But as it stands...I'm not buying it.

[spankyham]

FOTA to investigate a team.

F1 : Stefano Domenicali - FOTA investigating Formula 1 team overspending charge
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 12:23

FOTA is investigating claims about a potential breach last year of the cost limiting agreement, the Formula One team body's Vice Chairman Stefano Domenicali revealed on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, Red Bull Racing's Christian Horner denied claims Red Bull, on the way to last year's titles, flouted the Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA) to the tune of EUR 60 million.

Without referring to Red Bull specifically, Domenicali, also team principal of the Ferrari team, confirmed to reporters at the 'Wrooom' media event in the Italian Dolomites that an investigation is taking place.

He said: "I think all the teams that signed have complied."

It is believed Red Bull has been compelled to submit its accounts to FOTA as part of the investigation, and Horner this week admitted he thinks the team's rivals will "potentially challenge" his claim that the RRA was fully respected.

[scotty]

But what happens if they are proven to be guilty? Obviously too late to take their titles away (for example) now...

[darwin dali]

But what happens if they are proven to be guilty? Obviously too late to take their titles away (for example) now...

They will have less money allowed for the coming season as a punishment according to the agreement.

[F1er]

But what happens if they are proven to be guilty? Obviously too late to take their titles away (for example) now...

They will have less money allowed for the coming season as a punishment according to the agreement.

And if they break that as well?? What then?? Forced to show at every GP wearing thongs??

[darwin dali]

But what happens if they are proven to be guilty? Obviously too late to take their titles away (for example) now...

They will have less money allowed for the coming season as a punishment according to the agreement.

And if they break that as well?? What then?? Forced to show at every GP wearing thongs??

Or a stewardess dress.

[Jensonb]

But what happens if they are proven to be guilty? Obviously too late to take their titles away (for example) now...

They will have less money allowed for the coming season as a punishment according to the agreement.

And if they break that as well?? What then??

Is a very good question. Either it's a pretty weak enforcement system or the Press have done a pretty poor job finding out what it says.