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F1 strugglers rule out Austin boycott
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FORMULA One’s mid-grid strugglers are determined to carve out a fairer distribution of wealth, but they are not contemplating a boycott of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix.
This became clear on Saturday when the team bosses of Force India, Lotus and Sauber dismissed reports suggesting they were thinking of drastic action and, instead, emphasized they intend to find a way of reforming F1’s business plan.
Lotus owner Gerard Lopez said: “I’ve just found out about the story (to boycott the race) now, so my answer is no. I’ve had a meeting with them about the cash distribution and so on and that’s it.
“But I’m not aware of this (boycott plan). I don’t even know where this comes from and that’s the whole point.”
Lopez added: “I don’t think there is an agenda — I sure hope there is none — but things have to drastically change in the next couple of weeks. “Not because teams are going to be driven away, but because if you don’t take a situation like this one seriously, to change something, then you are never going to do it.”
The absence of the cash-starved Caterham and Marussia teams at the Circuit of the Americas this weekend has prompted a mini-crisis in the sport. But the controversy and argument have failed to persuade F1’s commercial ring-master Bernie Ecclestone or the leading “big four” teams from contemplating change.
“The teams in F1 today should stay in F1 and they should all look at the situation and come up with a short-term plan, how to have a healthy grid, and a long-term plan,” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said.
“We are talking about money distribution which is an issue for the commercial rights holder, and I don’t have a solution. I can come up with many ideas which can be short term solutions, but it comes back to the principle that whatever you give to the teams they are going to spend.”
On the track, Nico Rosberg earned a chance to tighten the Formula One championship duel with Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton by winning the pole position for the US Grand Prix.
Rosberg edged Hamilton by .376 seconds at the Circuit of the Americas. Valtteri Bottas of Williams will start third. Hamilton leads Rosberg by 17 points in the drivers’ championship with three races left.
Ecclestone further enflamed things when he told Sky Sports the small teams are needed only “if they are going to be there performing properly and not moving around with begging buckets.”
Rosberg and Hamilton, who have waged a season-long duel for the title, declined comment on the potential boycott. Former Formula One world champion Jackie Stewart said a boycott would be a bad move by the teams and their business partners.
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