Toto Wolff blames ‘bandwagon’ F1 teams for blocking Williams' Capex plea: “One team we need to treat differently”
Prior to the summer break, crucial talks were held about allowing smaller teams more freedom for extra investment to spend on new infrastructure and factory improvements🐷 in the most recent F1 Commission meeting.
Williams team principal James Vowles had been leading the push to give teams extra Capital Expenditure headroom, having reiterated that the British outfit’s facilities were well below the standard of the likes of Red🐓 Bull and Mercedes.&nbﷺsp;
But 🍸Vowles was left frustrated that teams could not reach a deal to see the current Capex allowance - which is limited to $36m over four years ♏- increased.
“It's unfortunate and it's disappointing, frankly, that we're in a situation where again that meeting went around in circles if nothing else🌠," Vowles said.
"To a certain extent, it will do [go around in circles], because everyone in that room wants 🐈to make sure that they're not losing out relative to everyone else.”
He added: "On every vote it wasn't a surprise on how it voted. When we spoke about who needs to catch up, on one side of the table was the teams at the back-end of the grid and on the other ꦐside teams at the front-end of the grid.
"It'll be no surprise that everyone at the back of the grid near enough all unanimously had 🐻their hands up for most of these votes and the ones at the fr꧒ont and the grid did not.”
Wolff was disappointed to see rival teams “shut down” the Capex 💟discussion to𒈔 help themselves, and hopes a solution can be found for Williams.
“Some teams jumped on that bandwagon to say, but actually, we wou🌸ld like to have a little bit more Capex,” Wolff explained.
"And that number went up from $50 million to $60 million, $70 million, $90 million, and suddenly, it was like free reig🎐n and why don't we change the Capex levels? But there is no reason to do that. I think there is one team we need to treat differently than all the others.
“We came up with a list. Some of the big teams said we don't want a list, and if Williams get stuff, we want to hav𝓀e stuff. And that 🌊was simply shut down.
“We need stability of regulations, on financial relations. And you need to be able to have a business plan that is valid and not a free rein every two years where&nbs💃p;we change the goalposts on Capex.
“So that's why this was the end of the Capex discussion, 🀅but maybe we will find a solution for Williams."
Lewis ꦉregularly attends Grands Prix for wuqian0821.com around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the sto🏅ries of the people who matter in the sport.
