How F1 teams used sailing to beat the cost cap

Summary

The discussion focuses on new FIA restrictions intended to stop Formula 1 teams from using non-F1 projects to get around the sport’s cost cap, and what those restrictions could mean for collaboration with America’s Cup teams.

• Introduced in 2021, the cost cap has encouraged teams to place staff and work in related ventures, such as sailing or “applied science” departments. The FIA has progressively tightened its rules: an earlier directive restricted the flow of intellectual property from non-F1 projects into F1, and a later rule required a staff member’s full salary to count against the F1 budget if they did any work for the F1 team.
• The latest measures require greater separation between F1 and non-F1 personnel, including restrictions on sharing workspaces at the same time and discussing work in informal settings. Staff moving out of F1 also face limits on how soon and for how long they can work elsewhere. The rules do not necessarily ban future cooperation, but make it harder to use current F1 staff and resources.
• Jon Noble argues that the cost cap has helped make Formula 1 more financially sustainable. Freddie Carr notes that America’s Cup teams are also entering a cost-capped era, which may further limit their ability to pay for outside engineering support.
• Carr describes Mercedes’ involvement with INEOS Britannia. The T6 test boat was extremely ambitious, but became too complicated, expensive, and late. The experience nevertheless helped the team improve its design and procurement process for the race boat. Carr says Mercedes’ computing and simulation expertise was especially valuable, with the team spending roughly twice as much time in the simulator as on the water.
• Carr recalls Adrian Newey visiting Ben Ainslie Racing in 2014 and sketching ideas for an AC50. He says the concepts were strikingly close to the design direction later used by the America’s Cup-winning New Zealand team.
• Ferrari says its Hypersail project is separate from Scuderia Ferrari and Formula 1, though it is connected to Ferrari’s road-car business. The discussion cites its electronically controlled winch system as drawing on electric-car technology and notes that the company sees potential for knowledge to flow between sailing and road cars.
• Carr sees the benefits of F1 and sailing expertise as broadly balanced: F1 brought valuable capabilities, but also complexity. He particularly praises Prodrive, which is not identified with an F1 team, for providing some of the strongest engineering support he encountered. He expects collaboration with top engineers to continue, even if direct F1 links become more difficult.

Presenters and contributors: Neil Cole (presenter), Jon Noble, Freddie Carr.