It will be like a sprint race...

Thoughts anyone??

PARIS (AP) — Formula One's governing body raised a voluntary budget cap to $59 million Thursday, banned refueling during races and opened the starting grid to an additional three teams starting in 2010.

The World Motor Sport Council said the teams that sign up for the cost-cutting cap will be given more technical freedom, including movable wings, engines without a rev limit and unlimited out-of-season testing. There will also be no restrictions on wind tunnel testing.

F1 currently has 10 teams with two cars each, but that will be increased to 13 teams and 26 cars in 2010. The WMSC is banning refueling during races to save money on transporting refueling equipment.

"Formula One faces a period of great uncertainty during this harsh recessionary period," the WMSC said in a statement. "Funding a team is increasingly seen as a discretionary spend for the majority of team owners and sponsors. To ensure a healthy grid all are agreed that costs need to be cut."

FIA president Max Mosley said Wednesday he hoped budget caps would be welcomed by Formula One teams that were previously skeptical about cost-cutting plans. FIA had proposed a budget limit of $44.5 million for 2010, but F1 team bosses cautioned against it, saying cost reductions should be gradual. Thursday's statement said costs in future years will be decided by FIA at a later date.

 

The banning of refueling during races is beyond me. Isn't fuel strategy a major part of what makes it interesting. Budget cap and allowing more cars on the grid, I'm all for that, but I agree banning refueling will make it a lame sprint race. In A1GP they have a sprint and a feature race each weekend, because people aren't going to pay to see just a quick sprint race. In F1, I just don't see this working out to the benefit of the fans.

 

Maybe they should adopt the GP2 format..

Two Sprint races on Sunday. Then the grid is reversed for the second race based on the results of the first race.

 

Yuck. Remind me why F1 is the pinnacle of international motorsport, again?

 

they're watering down the sport.....sad

 

How tough is it to go from maybe a budget of what 300 million? to 59 million... for some teams... to a Sprint race.... and they will have to shorten the races...

F1 (was) the pinnacle of racing

 

The cars would still need to come in for tires. The tire strategies are usually the most interesting part because most teams are on the same page for fuel strategies anyway. It'd be interesting to see who's better with their tires though.

Am I the only one who is indifferent to the ban of refueling?