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The competition between Red Bull and Ferrari is heating up, with both teams throwing accusations around that the other has unduly upgraded their cars as the season intensifies. While this is not new to F1, the newly-introduced cost cap has given teams new venues of suspicion and aspersion. Rather than hampering the competition, as some feared, the financial regulations have only intensified the drama and emotion in a sport that never lacked either.
When the FIA announced in 2020 that it would add a cost cap to the sport’s set of regulations, it explained that the measure was a way of fostering competition, levelling the playing field, and safeguarding the financial stability of the teams. Set for $145 million for the 2021 season, the cap was lowered to $140 million for the current season, with a further five million taken off next year’s budget.
Teams accusing each other of exceeding legal limits when adding new parts is not new, particularly in recent years, when the rivalry between the Prancing Horse squad and Mercedes reached record heights. The spending cap has only increased the level of paranoia in the sport, with constructors now scrambling to assess the cost of upgrades undertaken by their rivals in the hope of catching them red-handed.
This year’s marquee rivalry, fuelled by oblique accusations of financial malfeasance, is shaping up to be one between Red Bull and Ferrari. Red Bull’s strategy to accelerate development early in the season has raised eyebrows in the Italian team's camp. The Maranello-based team, in contrast, is taking a more moderate approach by pacing its upgrades throughout the year. For its part, the Austrian team has defended its approach, claiming it introduced a multitude of smaller upgrades, while the Italian team spent a comparable portion of its budget on more comprehensive packages as well as unforeseen repairs.
Rebuilding the Ferrari brand
The drama caused by the regulations is most likely part of the growing pain caused by a new and unfamiliar mechanism being added to the competition. However, the budget cap has seemingly already influenced competitiveness within F1, with several teams now set to battle it out until the very end of the season. While nobody wants the season champion to be determined by a legal battle over upgrade costs, it’s clear that the financial limits have ushered in a new era in the sport.
The changes have also seemingly suited Ferrari. After a hiatus of several years, when the iconic Italian carmaker failed to challenge for the driver’s championship, the beginning of the 2022 season saw the Maranello-based team on the up. With the F1 season fast approaching its midpoint, both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are both consistently challenging for the top spots.
For team principal Mattia Binotto, the change in the team's fortune is down to improvements in the car’s development, which have allowed the team to address key weaknesses such as the engine. With momentum on its side, Ferrari could be on course to win its first championship since 2008.
The amateur’s passion: Michael Simoncić and Miroslav Vyboh
The Prancing Horse's increased competitiveness has rekindled fans' excitement for the team and attachment to the brand. For the Italian team, nurturing fans' passion has been an active pursuit over the years, not least through sponsoring various initiatives and hosting amateur competitions.
The Ferrari Challenge, an international race that allows Ferrari owners to test their mettle against each other on the world’s most prestigious race tracks, will run its its 30th iteration. It is a competition that has brought the Italian brand even closer to its historic clients and fanbase. Michael Simoncić, the amateur winner of the Coppa Shell, said:
“My passion for the Prancing Horse grows with each passing year.”
Slovakian businessman Miroslav Vyboh, who has also been participating in the event together with his son since 2019, is among the superfans who saw their dreams come true behind the wheel. Vyboh describes Ferrari as both a passion and a philosophy, underlining the strong impression the Italian car brand makes on its legions of fans.
Speaking on Open Mic for Ferrari, Vyboh explained how his passion for cars developed through the history and pedigree of the brand. He said:
“for us (it) is not just the Ferrari Challenge racing, but also collecting the cars…(and learning) about the history of Ferrari.”
It is clear that, through the Ferrari Challenge initiative, the Italian carmaker has sought to strengthen the brand and bolster its relationship with the fanbase.
Now that the F1 team is back to its winning ways, the Italian brand looks set to enjoy a revival to its popularity.
