FIA president Jean Todt frustrated by complaints of F1 small teams
FIA president Jean Todt says he is "frustrated" by Formula 1's small teams complaining about their commercial terms having already signed up to them
Todt questioned why certain teams complain about the distribution of income in Formula 1, given they have all agreed the current deals with the commercial rights holder.
"If people expect the FIA to change the distribution of the commercial rights, then it's true that I give up," said Todt.
"It would be completely irrelevant for me to say 'I'm going to speak to them' because those are the rules.
"How should I allow myself to claim something that is not within our responsibility?
"Where I feel frustrated is [those] who are complaining who did not take the best deal - why did they accept?"
Todt added he also feels some involved in F1 could be more fully engaged in the processes designed to cut costs.
He questioned those who he believes do not contribute their ideas in rules meetings, but then make public statements about their opinions on the direction of F1.
"Individually, we have one, two or three guys, and sometimes I complained to these people but I will not give you names.
"I said 'guys, I read your interview, so why did you remain silent during the whole meeting?'
"Everyone has the opportunity of expressing something, and I feel that it is more positive to speak in the right organisation.
"I would prefer that, if they have solutions or proposals, they propose them and then let's try to implement them.
"But it is not the case."
COSTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Todt did accept that the cost of competing in F1 is too high, but he believes that the current commercial agreements mean there is a split among the teams who have favourable deals and those that don't.
"You hear teams complaining about the cost of F1; I am a person who considers F1 to be too expensive," said Todt.
"Saying that, F1 now is less expensive than it was 10 years ago.
"A lot of things have been done, including by my predecessor [Max Mosley], which were in the right direction to reduce the costs.
"Now, new agreements have been signed and they are much more favourable to some teams than to some other teams.
"So we are facing people who are very happy to have signed, and we are facing people who are very unhappy to have signed.
"Saying that, there is a common thing - they have all signed."
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