Ferrari’s power to veto F1 rules is up for discussion – Todt

2018 F1 season

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Discussions with Ferrari over their future in F1 will include the controversial issue of their power to veto F1 rules changes, FIA president Jean Todt has confirmed.

“It is decades that Ferrari has what is called this veto right,” Todt told a media briefing in Abu Dhabi. Ferrari have held their veto power since the eighties.

“When we are going to discuss about the renewal of the agreement, it is part of the things which will be discussed,” he added.

Ferrari, Interlagos, 2017
Poll: Should Ferrari have a veto on F1’s rules?
Ferrari last exercised its veto in 2015 to block a rules change requiring manufacturers to supply engines at lower prices.

The team’s commitment to F1 beyond the end of 2020 is in doubt. Last year CEO Sergio Marchionne said it will leave the sport if it does not approve of changes to the regulations planned for 2021.

However Todt, who managed Ferrari’s F1 team between 1994 and 2007, said both they and the sport would be worse off if they did not continue together.

“Am I afraid to see Mercedes or Ferrari leave? That’s their choice,” he said.

“What is sure, we don’t want anybody to leave. But of course Ferrari is one of the iconic brands. It’s a company, a team, which has been participating in every single Formula 1 championship since its creation.”

“So I don’t want to see Ferrari leaving, I’m not sure if it would be a good thing for Ferrari to leave Formula 1, because why it is a unique brand is because it’s such combined between racing and road cars.”

“I think it will be also painful for Ferrari not to be in Formula 1, but that’s not my responsibility anymore.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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22 comments on “Ferrari’s power to veto F1 rules is up for discussion – Todt”

  1. Some scandal is about to be uncovered. A lot of sensible, good and promising headlines today.
    The F1 fan in me know something is wrong
    Even Pirelli wants to make tyres again
    Smells fishy

    1. Agreed. I can smell something.

    2. Believe me, none of today’s news was ‘placed’, but acquired the good old-fashioned way.

      1. @dieterrencken that won’t ever be questioned by me particularly in this page and coming from you and Keith

        my comment was just a fun way to express my feelings regarding the headlines today. As an F1 fan I’m not used to receive good news constantly, it is a shame I admit

          1. Lots of good news stories today. F1 Fanatic looks like the place to be for quality journalism

  2. Lol, that pic of Todt. Too funny.

    1. petebaldwin (@)
      19th January 2018, 15:59

      @robbie I was going to say the same! :D

      He looks like his mum just told him he can’t have any more sweets!!

  3. “I think it will be also painful for Ferrari not to be in Formula 1, but that’s not my responsibility anymore.”
    – ‘Would’ not ‘will.’

    1. Could be a Freudian slip there @jerejj ;)

  4. After all this talk a deal will be done and Ferrari will get at least what they have now maybe better. This is a result of loyalty being in every F1 season has to be worth something unlike many other fair weather teams.

    1. “Fair weather teams”
      …which are not in F1 anymore because the skewed distribution of prize money bankrupted them.

      “Loyalty”
      Every one is it in for themselves, pal. Ferrari would never have stayed in the championship if it did not suit them. Loyalty has got absolutely nothing to do with it. This is a business.

      1. Business….Ferrari are better for business than an other team, they are more important than any other team…pal.

        Mercedes, Renault, Honda, Toyota, Ford their fair weather teams who pick and choose eras to be involved.

        When a team is more important and has a history of being involved every year then that’s why they get better deals.

  5. Just because a team has been in a sport for a long time does not mean that they are entitled to preferential treatment. Either the rules are same for everyone, or you’re just plain insulting sport.

    If they want to maintain their ability to veto, then their historic bonus should be removed. If they want their bonus, they shouldn’t be able to veto. This is the only compromise I see, but realistically Ferrari should have zero advantages.

    I think the bigger insult is being given these advantages and still not winning WDCs/WCCs.

    To those who say F1 will collapse if Ferrari leaves – I don’t care. If a sport collapses because one team leaves, it’s an indication that the whole system was broken to begin with. I’d be disappointed if F1 collapsed but I’ve got plenty of other motorsports to watch.

    1. Steven,
      I agree with you with only one exception. I would like Ferrari to stay but totally on the same basis as all other teams. No veto and no Ferrari only bonus. They have been in control too long and gotten away too lightly for some major faults made by drivers.

      Been a fan of F1 since the 1960s and will remain so if rules are brought on an even keel.

      Level out the playing field and get rid of what probably were Enzo Ferrari’s tantrums.

  6. Can Ferrari veto the veto vote ?

    1. Hahahhaha

      +1

  7. I think they all should wake up!! Do u think a team can veto…. try this.. play paintball game.. ferrari uses a pistol that shoots one at time and u have to reload.. the other teams will have fully automatic rifles.. who would win !?? Sooo .. there u have it! Lol.. I have been watching F1 since way back and i really think for one is i have NOT seen much advertisement For F1 every year!!! The costs for me to see one which im deaf does not make me a happy camper!! The other is when i tape every race.. i do NOT get all practice events to see… lastly U should get refueling back again!! Its called responsibility !!! Just because one or more leaves with hose.. should NOT remove staple things that should stay .. the Halo is very wrong to me…. i think more drivers will refuse to drive with halo due to obstruction in the middle… but safety will def prevail… just needs to retink halo device to remove middle obstruction view…

  8. That’s one giant step forward for F1.

  9. Wow you miss nothing only tuning in here once in the off-season. More useless tripe news and even worse comments. F1 better off without Ferrari? Dream on. I hope they veto the daylights out of everything.

  10. It will be great to see Ferrari lose that veto vote. Although, I’m pretty sure they’ll pack up and leave if that happens.

    Heck, they can’t win a title even after spending all the money in the world, vetoing rules they don’t like, and using the FIA as their very own little law making unit.

    Ferrari remind of a kid with no talent struggling to play a sport the loves. A kid who came with the fanciest gear and his own personal coach. But he just isn’t any good, so he used to lose, sulk and take the ball back home.

  11. There are a couple of points to remember about Ferrari, the last time it used its veto was not only for itself but to cover all engine manufacturers from making a loss on the PU’s they supply. Secondly, the NFL who sell franchises for teams was forced to make a additional rule to state that a minimum spend per franchise was required. This was because people came into the sport, pushed a team into the ground to milk the franchise money paid to it from the NFL central fund. If teams are rewarded for giving a commitment to F1 then that’s no issue, the only issue is what is the level of reward offered.

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