Ross Brawn says cost cuts should not 'dumb down' Formula 1
Ross Brawn says Liberty Media does not want to "dumb down" Formula 1 and undermine its bigger teams despite its desire to reduce spending costs


Liberty completed its takeover of F1 in January, and has repeatedly expressed its desire to implement a fairer share of income once the current Concorde Agreement runs out in 2020.
Brawn, who was installed by Liberty as sporting boss after its takeover of F1, said he was keen for changes to F1's income distribution model to help close the field up but did not want that to come at the expense of the current composition of teams.
"It is a circular process," said Brawn of the cost-cutting procedure.
"To have a discussion about remuneration with the teams is difficult if you don't present both sides.
"We've got to present how we see the sport going forward in terms of the investment that the teams make, because it's substantial.
"I think it's fair to say that there's not a team in F1 that wouldn't welcome a reduction in costs.
"One thing I'd like to say is that we don't want to dumb F1 down. "F1 still has to be aspirational for the teams.
"We don't want all the teams to be exactly the same, in the respect that there should still be the aspirational teams, there should still be the Ferraris, the Mercedes, the Red Bulls that teams want to aspire to beat.
"But we don't want domination. We need an environment where a team that does a really good job can do well.
"We don't want a situation where financial power enables a team to get a dominant position, as has happened in the last few years."
Part of the Liberty's challenge will be convincing the biggest teams to agree to a reduction in their current prize money - with the caveat that their overheads will also reduce.
Former Honda, Brawn and Mercedes financial director Nigel Kerr - whose appointment was announced last month - has been tasked with studying current spending by teams and proposing how that could be changed change under a new rules package.
"We want to make sure that when we do come forward with our ideas, that they are very well thought out, and all the various elements have been properly sorted, discussed and are in place, so we have a complete proposal to take the sport forward," added Brawn.
"Nigel's task will be to help build the financial models that can demonstrate hopefully the way forward for the teams in F1.
"It's got to be in co-operation with the FIA.
"The FIA are the regulators of our sport, and they are the final arbiter of what goes on in the sport.
"We want to supplement and support those activities, and make proposals that we think are good for the sport. "But the remuneration debate has to go hand-in-hand with how we control the costs, or the investments needed in F1."

Could McLaren adapt to a Mercedes engine?
Wolff understands lack of F1 2018 contract puts pressure on Bottas

Latest news
Daytona 24: Westbrook’s Ganassi Cadillac tops second practice
Richard Westbrook ensured Cadillac’s new V-LMDh snagged top spot in second practice for the Daytona 24 Hours, ahead of the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Autosport Acura.
Auer suffers back injury in Daytona 24 practice shunt
Mercedes driver Lucas Auer has suffered a back injury and been taken to hospital following a violent crash in opening practice for this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours.
Daytona 24: WTR Acura tops heavily interrupted FP1
Five red flags disrupted the first practice session for this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours, while Filipe Albuquerque put the Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Autosport Acura on top.
Pedrosa to make KTM MotoGP wildcard outing in Spanish GP
Dani Pedrosa will make his first MotoGP race start since the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix with a wildcard entry for KTM at this year’s Spanish GP in April.
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
When F1 ‘holiday’ races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week and, although it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action
Why the new Williams boss shouldn’t avoid ‘Mercedes B-team’ comparisons
OPINION: Williams has moved to replace the departed Jost Capito by appointing former Mercedes chief strategist James Vowles as its new team principal. But while he has sought to play down the idea of moulding his new squad into a vision of his old one, some overlap is only to be expected and perhaps shouldn't be shied away from
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.