The limit imposed by the budget cap of 145 million dollars (118 million euros) foreseen by the 2021 Formula 1 regulations, forced the teams to completely review their organizational model.
In recent days we have dealt with the topic regarding the number of teams called to this complex operation, which in fact are those who in previous seasons had available budgets higher than what the FIA allows today, namely Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull. and, to a lesser extent, Renault and McLaren.
The heart of the problem is the cost of personnel, an item that varies greatly depending on the team, given that the workforce goes from almost a thousand employees of Mercedes and Ferrari to an estimated 650 for Renault.
The same teams have confirmed that they have considered alternative plans to guarantee jobs for the redundant staff and, among the projects launched, there are those that involve cooperation with other teams.
At Mercedes, or the team called to the major ‘cuts’ together with Ferrari, a priority was given to one aspect: to keep the know-how within the team as much as possible.
The budget cap rules are strict for those who work within the Formula 1 program, but if the staff is delegated to alternative activities, while remaining in the company they are not subject to any constraints.
The redundant group in Brackley was partly diverted to the America’s Cup project (a program that is not of secondary importance in the economy of the Brackley office), then the activities concerning the projects for customer teams were well separated.
In particular, the gearbox section, where the supply for the Aston Martin was also joined by that for Williams in 2022. Mercedes has also acquired work orders for external companies, which, in addition to an operating profit, help to keep all the redundancies of the Formula 1 program at the Brackley headquarters.
The World Champion team has made it clear that it has not supported the possibility of moving personnel to Aston Martin, precisely for the reason linked to the know-how.
Although the market for technicians, especially in England, is always very hectic, the possibility that loaned staff can accept job offers from the team they work for is undoubtedly higher than those who work internally. If in doubt, it is better to keep everyone within the most reassuring walls of their headquarters.
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