Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey says he is confident a new rules package for 2021 will be agreed in time for its deadline at the end of June.
As there are no agreements for the future governance of the sport beyond 2020, the FIA’s International Sporting Code dictates the 2021 rules must be agreed 18 months before the start of the season.Asked by RaceFans at the Geneva International Motor Show for an update on the progress he is making with F1’s teams, Carey said: “I think we are well along in all the discussions.
“We’ve got a lot of parties to deal with. But I think we are comfortable with getting what we need to do done in the time we need to do it.”
F1’s commercial rights holder Liberty Media wishes to introduce a cap on how much teams can spend and reform the sport’s prize money structure. However with less than four months left to agree the new rules, there are fears the sport’s richer teams which benefit the most from the current financial structure could try to ‘run out the clock’ and force compromises from Liberty.
Asked by RaceFans how he intends to avoid being boxed-in to offering last-minute concessions, Carey said: “By trying to get in front of it.
“We’ve been working at it for a while now so obviously we’ve had discussions. These are discussions we’ve had in private. We’re not doing it in public so just because we’re not making public pronouncements doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of discussions going along.
“We’ve had a lot of discussions I think we’re making good progress and I think we’ll get to where we need to get to in the time we need to get there.”
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MrBoerns (@mrboerns)
7th March 2019, 19:50
Are we to interpret the Picture as a sign some of the writers doubt his being confident?
JayMcG (@jaymcg)
7th March 2019, 19:56
Liberty Vs the 3 top teams with a B team each. Not hopeful of Liberty changing much.
JohnNik (@johnnik)
7th March 2019, 19:57
Shouldn’t he be more concerned with the 2019 rules first?
Namely, fastest lap bonus point…
JayMcG (@jaymcg)
7th March 2019, 23:31
Yes it’s a terrible idea.
Velocityboy (@velocityboy)
7th March 2019, 21:44
He sounds naive. Bernie went from team to team negotiating for a reason and Cary thinks the teams will all just put their own interests aside and do what’s best for the sport….Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha!
BasCB (@bascb)
8th March 2019, 6:43
I think Cary (and his whole team) has been doing the round as intensivel, or rather thanks to having a TEAM of people more intensively, at several levels of every team, as Bernie ever did.
Just the approach is completely different. Bernie liked to get something signed with Ferrari and recently with Red bull, since they were the most self interested to be bought. The he put that out in the media to put pressure on the others.
Liberty keeps things out of the public while trying to eke out a solution everyone can live with until they actually have something to present.
Alec Glen (@alec-glen)
8th March 2019, 11:51
Bernie only went to each team individually later on after being threatened by FOTA, up to that point he was happy dealing with them as a collective as long as they’d accept 50% of revenues lining CVC’s pockets. When FOTA attempted to challenge him he went for Ferrari, gave them everything they asked for and then FOTA fell apart with Red Bull keen to jump on next while Bernie had his hand in his pocket. That’s why we’re where we are with each team having their own deal with the associated corporate paralysis.
Nige
7th March 2019, 22:31
Without sounding too dramatic this could be the most difining moment in F1 history.
JayMcG (@jaymcg)
7th March 2019, 23:45
Nah big changes are proposed among some other changes. Usually the big changes don’t happen unless it suits Ferrari or other influential companies.
JayMcG (@jaymcg)
7th March 2019, 23:55
I mean historically this is what happens.
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
7th March 2019, 23:46
Of course Carey is confident – Liberty just signed a remix deal with the Chemical Brothers for a new marketing sonic identity for F1.
With the toughest negotiations over – entertainment has-beens are the toughest negotiators – Carey can quickly move on to a Pirelli-durable rubber stamping by the always-agreeable teams for the 2021 regs and revenue sharing.
/s
Tristan (@skipgamer)
8th March 2019, 2:06
-Carey makes a public pronouncement that there are a lot of discussions with good progress going on.
Krommenaas (@krommenaas)
8th March 2019, 9:22
Something like this can only be resolved near the deadline, when tension rises so high that parties may be willing to make concessions. Just like Brexit negotiations. Noone is going to make concessions before the deadline looms, so it’s useless to comment on the progress of such negotiations before the deadline has passed.