Where there's Formula One, there's trouble, and the 2007 season
is about to start with a new rift in the paddock.
The latest split revolves around the Super Aguri and Toro Rosso
teams who intend to use chassis this year supplied by Honda and Red
Bull respectively.
"If everyone did that, we would no longer have a championship of
10 teams with two cars, but five teams with four cars," argued BMW
Sauber boss, Mario Theissen.
The dispute has become so serious that both the Williams and
Spyker teams are ready to complain to the FIA, the sport's
governing body.
Williams argue that the new Toro Rosso car is just a modified
Red Bull fitted with a Ferrari rather than a Renault engine, and
the new Super Aguri is a copy of last year's Honda.
"I am adamantly opposed to chassis sharing and we at Williams do
not believe it is legal under the current rules," team boss Frank
Williams told the Guardian newspaper.
"We are what you might call a traditionalist racing team which
believes that we are out there competing for two world
championships, one for the best driver in the world and one for the
constructor who builds the best car in the world.
"As far as I'm concerned it is absolutely in the regulations in
black and white that every team must make its own chassis."
Red Bull, however, insist, they are doing nothing wrong.
"Red Bull and Toro Rosso are two teams and two completely
different companies," team principal Christian Horner said.
"They run one against the other and will not establish a common
strategy."
Super Aguri, who are already legally powered by Honda, will this
year use Honda's RA106 chassis from last year.
Toro Rosso, which came into being after the demise of Minardi in
2005, is backed by Austrian drinks company Red Bull, which already
gives its name to a team.
They may appear distinct entities - Red Bull are based at Milton
Keynes in England while Toro Rosso can be found at Faenza in Italy
- but, in practice, many argue, they look like a family.
They have the same name, as Red Bull and Toro Rosso differ only
due to English and Italian translations; they have the same
founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, who created the energy drinks empire;
and they have the same motor home and a shared media service.
In 2007, Toro Rosso will use a modified Red Bull chassis from
2006.
"We have the right to do what we are doing," said Toro Rosso's
Gerhard Berger.
Many in the sport believe that Toro Rosso and Red Bull are
making the most of the present regulations.
The FIA accepts that two teams can be supplied by the same third
party.
"If you are Williams, you couldn't use the front wing of McLaren
but Williams and McLaren can use the front wings of Lola," said FIA
president Max Mosley.
The chassis used by Red Bull and Toro Rosso are built officially
by Red Bull Technology - not Red Bull Racing.
Even if an agreement is reached before next month's
season-opener in Melbourne, there could be still be problems
ahead.
David Richards, the chairman of Prodrive, who intends to enter a
team in the 2008 championship, has criticised Williams for his
stance.
"There is absolutely no question about it, customer cars are
permitted in 2008," Richards told the Guardian.
Richards has been tipped to lease cars from McLaren-Mercedes for
next year.
"Williams have entered the 2008 world championship accepting
that condition. It all seems absolutely clear to me," he said.
(China Daily via AFP February 7, 2007)
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