Formula 1 Managing Dir Ross Brawn said that a budget cap "is coming" to F1 as early as '19, according to GMM. The issue of mandatory limiting budgets has been "whispered about for years," but Brawn said that Liberty Media will start imposing a plan to limit teams' spending next year. He said, "The cost-cutting work is going well. We first want to introduce it in a 'soft' way with test runs for the years 2019 and 2020. It will be part of the regulations from 2021. It's as good as decided." The budget cap will reportedly be around $150M per year, but Brawn admitted that it will be "imposed gradually" (GMM, 8/23).
ENGINE RULE DELAY: MOTORSPORT's Jonathan Noble reported Liberty Media and engine manufacturers have been "working for several months on putting together a package of rules to revamp power units" for '21. The hope was that the "louder, cheaper and less-complicated regulations would attract new entrants" -- with Porsche, Aston Martin, and Cosworth all considering projects. However, with delays in framing the specifics of the rules, and a "push back from the current manufacturers" to keep the current MGU-H, the interest from outside partners has "fallen away." With "fading hopes of new car makers coming in," Brawn suggested that it "may now make better sense to delay the rules overhaul." While a "major technical shake-up may be delayed," Brawn said that there "could still be scope to make changes" in the sporting rules to "level the playing field more." He said, "My feeling is that there's still quite a lot we can do on the engine side in terms of sporting regulations such as limits on dyno test time, number of upgrades during a season, consistency of specification to all customer teams, etc." (MOTORSPORT, 8/23).
'DISAPPOINTED': GMM also reported F1 Managing Dir, Commercial Operations Sean Bratches wants Fernando Alonso to "remain in the sport as an ambassador." Alonso, a two-time champion and current McLaren driver, is quitting at the end of the year. Alonso is said to be considering a full-time switch to the IndyCar Series. Bratches said that he is "disappointed that Alonso is turning his back" on F1. Bratches: "I hope that we can keep him as an ambassador so that he can help to bring this great sport forward. I had hoped he would be here for 10 years more. He's a hero and a legend, and he's meant so much to the sport" (GMM, 8/22).
