Kaltenborn: "F1 should not be a championship of engines"

The only team principal in the paddock alongside Claire Williams is pleased with her team’s progress over the season: « Generally speaking, I am satisfied with the way the whole team has worked during the season. We have practically seized every opportunity that came our way. »

But, obviously, she acknowledges that Sauber’s room for improvement remains significant: *We made mistakes that we shouldn’t have made. We must ensure that we won’t make them in the future to return to the level that should be ours.*

To strengthen its technical team, Sauber brought in Mark Smith a few months ago as the technical director. His role allows for more centralization in development areas: “Mark’s arrival makes my life a bit easier as I can focus more on team management. He provides his input and direction to the various department heads, who have remained the same. We can already see the impact of his skills in making people work together.”

According to the leader of the Swiss team, the main reason preventing them from being on the same level as competitors like Sahara Force India, Lotus, or Toro Rosso is their lack of budgets compared to their rivals: “I’m not saying it’s only a matter of budget; we must first reduce the number of our errors. But we have the infrastructure, the tools. However, to be able to fully use them, we need funds.”

This question of the team’s funding is obviously closely tied to the way revenues generated by F1 are distributed, which currently largely disadvantages small independent teams like Sauber. That is why the team has partnered with Sahara Force India to file a complaint with the European Commission, so that an investigation can establish the unfair nature of the distribution: « It has been a long process, we have been working on it for a long time. But it goes far beyond the simple distribution of revenue. Indeed, in our sport, revenues have a direct impact on our level of competitiveness. It also has a significant impact for someone to be able to enter the sport, but also for someone to be able to remain in the sport. We therefore hope that the Commission will examine why these privileges in revenue distribution have been granted. »

If the co-owner of the team is not satisfied with the revenue side, she also laments the expense side of her income statement. In this area, the main subject of complaints is the cost of new hybrid engines: « We didn’t want this new technology, and no one asked our opinion on it. Now, we are a customer, and what is important to a customer is the cost of what we are provided with. »

However, when the FIA had floated the idea of having a conventional alternative engine, Sauber made it known that they were not in favor of this solution for image reasons. Indeed, Monisha Kaltenborn acknowledges that hybrid technology is important for the mass market and that it is therefore a good thing that it is present in Formula 1. Going back to purely thermal engines would not send a good message to the public.

If technology is not the issue, it is indeed the bill presented by the engine manufacturers that is at the heart of the problem: « Engine manufacturers do not need clients to finance their engines. They do not question whether they will buy their engine from another manufacturer. They will build it in any case. »

It is therefore the responsibility of the FIA, which establishes the technical regulations, to urge engine manufacturers to lower their prices: « We cannot always ask independent teams to compete with the engine manufacturers when they have no say over this engine! »

Moreover, the importance of the engine has become far too dominant in establishing the hierarchy: « F1 should not be a championship of engines. There are many other skills that are important in the sport but have become less visible since last year because the engine has taken on so much importance. »

From our special correspondent in Abu Dhabi