Brown: Five teams will run at 2021 cost cap level

Jamie Woodhouse
Carlos Sainz McLaren PA

Carlos Sainz McLaren PA

McLaren CEO Zak Brown says half of the Formula 1 grid will max out the budget cap when it comes into effect from 2021.

From 2021 teams will be limited to spending $175million per season, though certain costs like driver salaries and those for the three highest-paid company executives will be exempt.

Some teams such as Renault and Racing Point thought the cap was still too high, something which Brown agrees on, but he understands the need to compromise for all ten teams.

And he expects half of those outfits to max out the budget cap from 2021 – McLaren have already announced that they will be one of them.

“I think I’d like to see the cost cap [at] what was originally proposed, but when you’re trying to get 10 teams together, there’s obviously compromises that need to be made,” he is quoted by Autosport.

“So I think it’s a great first step. I think we’re getting substantially outspent. If you look at the grid order, it pretty much lines up by who spends what.

“And when the cost cap comes in, I think you’ll have five teams running at the cost cap, and therefore anything can happen within those five.”

But Brown thinks it will take a few years for the cap to have an affect on Formula 1’s pecking order.

“I’m excited for ’20 but realistically the grid will probably look pretty familiar,” he said.

“I’m really excited for ’21 because who knows what that’s going to look like.

“I do think it’s going to take a couple of years for the cost cap to have much real impact, because people are going to be spending now for ’21.

“So I think it’s going to be ’22 or ’23 before you see the real impact of the cost cap.”

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