Leading Formula 1 teams "are in the early stages" of creating a new Formula One Teams Association-style body to "protect their financial interests and regulatory advantages" following the takeover by Liberty Media, according to Rowlinson & Rencken of MOTORSPORT. A senior F1 team figure is reportedly "leading moves to gather support for a team body that would act collectively to secure the strongest financial position and benefits" for teams currently protected by the "Constructors' Championship Bonus." The CCB applies to Mercedes, Red Bull Racing, Ferrari and McLaren and guarantees that those teams receive preferential financial payments from F1's commercial rights holder. Liberty, which takes control through the newly formed Formula One Group, has "identified F1's inequitable payments system as both unfair and a source of conflict, and it has targeted it for reform." That position "would appear to place Liberty at odds with some of the CCB teams and has the potential to give rise to financial disputes" (MOTORSPORT, 2/15).
UPPING THE ANTE: MOTORSPORT's Valentin Khorounzhiy reported the FIA European F3 series announced it is increasing its end-of-year prize money fund to €500,000 ($529,800), a "fifth of which will go the series champion" should he move to "another FIA championship." The continental F3 category has expanded its prize money program, which had been introduced in '16 as a combined total reward of €200,000 for the rookie champions. With European F3's "new prize money hike," a further €200,000 ($212,000) will "trickle down" to the series' teams "according to a performance distribution scale." The champion, meanwhile, will be rewarded with €100,000 ($106,000), provided he is moving to a different FIA-run series (MOTORSPORT, 2/15).
