Cyril Abiteboul fears a two-speed F1 from 2014
Cyril Abiteboul, the director of the Caterham F1 team, fears that with the change in regulations - especially with the introduction of a new engine - Formula 1 may become a two-speed championship.
The 2014 season, filled with regulatory changes, could be an opportunity for small teams like Marussia and Caterham to close the gap with their rivals, but Cyril Abiteboul, one of the heads of Caterham F1 team, is skeptical.
The Frenchman told Autosport that while moving closer to midfield teams like Toro Rosso or Williams was possible, aiming higher is not realistic: « I think it’s a small opportunity for us in the sense that it’s an opportunity to join the midfield – but I think we will only be able to join the midfield. There is a reset, but the midfield remains quite far from the top teams when I see the amount of resources some teams are able to invest [for 2014]. »
Abiteboul even fears that with the arrival of the new 1.6L V6 Turbo engine in Formula 1, the championship may eventually split into two divisions, where teams benefiting from engine manufacturers’ support will play in a separate league: « The other point is that in 2015, you will have four competitors – Ferrari, Red Bull with Renault, Mercedes, and Honda – who have an obligation to succeed. They must justify the expenses currently being made – and this obligation to win will create an arms race among them. It is a great danger for Formula 1 – there will be these four and the rest behind. »
