F1 must learn from Jag pull-out
Ford's decision to withdraw its Jaguar Racing team from Formula 1 at the end of this season must act as a spur to promote change in the way the sport is structured, believes the company's chief technical officer Richard Parry-Jones

In the view of Ford, the escalating financial cost of competing in Formula 1 has become too high, and that added to Jaguar Cars' failure to make a profit, was a key motivation behind the decision to put the team up for sale.
"I think this will accelerate the awareness among the current stakeholders that some kind of reform in needed and we should get on with it at a faster timescale than has happened to date," said Parry-Jones.
"If a company that has had as long an association with F1 as Ford has can conclude it isn't a good fit for business strategy, then that will surely cause a number of people to have a look at the number of changes that need to be made to secure the future of the sport commercially."
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone told Reuters news agency today (Friday) that he agrees costs in F1 have become too high: "Formula 1 is a very expensive business these days and we need to reduce the amount of money it takes to be competitive.
"Teams could still spend whatever they wanted, but the amount of money needed to compete would be less."
Ecclestone also believes that Jaguar's withdrawal may not be a bad thing for F1 in the long run. "I'm sorry that it's happened because we don't need to lose the Ford Motor Company, but there could be an upside," he said.
"There's provisions for the teams to run three cars and that would perhaps give us 20 competitive cars on the grid next season."
The FIA has said that it is "inappropriate to comment at this time" about the matter, but sources close to the governing body have pointed out that the Jaguar pull-out is evidence that FIA president Max Mosley's long-running crusade to cut costs or risk losing teams was more than just sabre-rattling.

Ford chief vows to sell Jag
Theissen: Ford Exit Shows F1 Must Cut Costs

Latest news
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
Daytona 24, Hour 15: Porsche takes lead amid trouble for MSR Acura
Porsche Penske Motorsport moved to the front of the Daytona 24 Hours in the 15th hour after the erstwhile-leading Meyer Shank Racing Acura developed an oil leak issue.
Vandoorne: Dashboard, steering wheel glitch caused Diriyah FE attack mode penalty
A blank dashboard caused Stoffel Vandoorne's 24-second Diriyah E-Prix penalty, as an electronics glitch on his DS Penske Formula E car meant he couldn't arm attack mode.
Five things we learned from Vasseur's first Ferrari F1 press call
Ferrari has undergone a winter of upheaval ever since it was announced that boss Mattia Binotto was stepping away from the Formula 1 squad.
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.