Ferrari getting special treatment in F1 is something we’re all aware of, but perhaps the most ridiculous aspect of it is the fact that the team has the right to veto technical rules changes.
It originates from back when Ferrari was pretty much the only team not running a Cosworth DFV engine and was designed to allow Enzo Ferrari to retain some power over the united front of the British teams. Those days are long gone, yet Ferrari can still dictate rule changes in a way no other team can.
The team has used the veto recently, too – in 2015 it blocked a proposal to make customer engines cheaper and recently apparently threatened to use it again to prevent a new, simpler front wing design from being introduced.
However, Jean Todt – who as former Ferrari boss knows all about the veto – has said that he’s going to bring up the topic with current boss Sergio Marchionne. He said:
“It is decades that Ferrari has what is called this veto right. When we are going to discuss about the renewal of the agreement, it is part of the things which will be discussed.”
That’s not going to make Ferrari too happy, is it? Especially as the team is in the middle of what’s sure to be a long, drawn-out quit threat!
However, Todt also said that he doesn’t want to see anyone leave the sport.
“Am I afraid to see Mercedes or Ferrari leave? That’s their choice. 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.”
With the team’s bonus payments also under threat, will the horror of having to compete on a more level playing field finally lead Ferrari to follow through and leave the sport? Or will the FIA and Liberty take the tried-and-tested route of giving in to ensure the red cars stick around?
