Horner calls for rules stability to help control costs in F1
Formula 1's best chance of effectively controlling costs is to ensure the stability of future regulations, according to Red Bull boss Christian Horner
Horner has often been an outspoken critic of financial controls, telling AUTOSPORT that F1 'should not be run by accountants' in response to plans for the FIA to get involved in policing the Resource Restriction Agreement.
Red Bull withdrew from the Formula One Teams' Association at the end of 2011 amid a general impasse over the feasibility and reach of the RRA.
Horner reckons the RRA is too restrictive and not the best way forward.
"We have been talking about a budget cap for about five years now. The hardest thing in the world is to police what a company spends," Horner told reporters at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
"A resource restriction is an agreement that is fundamentally flawed because of the structures of different companies: Ferrari operates in a completely different way to McLaren or Mercedes or Red Bull.
"The best way to control costs is through stable regulations.
"For example the biggest impact on Sauber's costs next year will be a change of regulations with the drive train, so really the most sensible way to contain costs are stable, clear and concise regulations - both sporting and technical."
Horner said a stable set of regulations would also have the benefit of falling under the jurisdiction of governing body the FIA, which would therefore "be the policeman."
While advocating the need for a cost control method, Horner insisted F1 remains one of the strongest sporting brands in the world, particularly given its increasing blend of terrestrial and pay-TV audiences.
"The value of F1 is the global audience that F1 reaches - outside of the Olympic Games, F1 is the biggest global sport on a season basis," he said.
"The way Bernie is structuring it is that he will only take pay TV if there is terrestrial TV alongside it.
"He is covering both bases: you have your specialised coverage and more in-depth coverage through pay TV, and you get casual viewers and en masse viewers on terrestrial TV."
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| Series | Formula 1 |
| Author | Jonathan Noble |
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