Felipe Massa says that slashing drivers’ salaries to reduce spending in Formula One would have little effect.
With growing pressure on the teams to reduce costs amid the global economic crisis it has been muted that driver wages could be first in line for the chop.
However, Ferrari driver Felipe Massa has questioned the impact this would have given that the salaries make up a relatively small proportion of the teams’ overall budgets.
When asked at a press conference for UNICEF in Sao Paulo about whether he supported the move to cut wages, Massa said, according to autosport.com: “I’m not inclined to it.
“In a competitive sport like this (F1), the driver plays a fundamental part, and the cost of the drivers are small compared to the total budget of the teams. The more people work to reduce costs, the better it is going to be for everybody.”
The Brazilian also dismissed the idea of introducing a standard engine in Formula One.
“I do not find this idea interesting,” he said. The fight to diminish costs is important, but a standard engine gets away from what F1 is all about – and it cannot happen. A Ferrari running with another engine – that is not a Ferrari. It is the same for Mercedes, Toyota or Renault.”
