Ferrari threaten to quit F1 after 2020

Ferrari say they could quit Formula 1 if the sport's new owners Liberty Media continue to tinker with the sport's regulations.

Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne told investors during a conference call that the team were unhappy with Liberty's proposals for a new engine design from 2021.

Liberty want to make engines cheaper, simpler and noisier, to encourage new independent teams into the sport and widen the fanbase.

But Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault all believe the new proposals would force them into costly engine redesigns, and will argue their case at a meeting on 7 November of F1's strategy group, which includes the FIA, F1 and the six leading teams.

The Scuderia is currently committed to the sport until the end of 2020.

"Liberty has got a couple of good intentions in all of this, one of which is to reduce the cost of execution for the team, which I think is good," said Marchionne.

"[But] there are a couple of things we don't necessarily agree with.

"One is the fact that somehow powertrain uniqueness is not going to be one of the drivers of distinctiveness of the participants' line-up.

"I would not countenance this going forward.

"The fact that we now appear to be at odds in terms of the strategic development of this thing, and we see the sport in 2021 taking on a different air, is going to force some decisions on the part of Ferrari.

"I understand that Liberty may have taken these into account in coming up with their views, but I think it needs to be absolutely clear that unless we find a set of circumstances, the results of which are beneficial to the maintenance of the brand, and the marketplace, and to the strengthening of the unique position for Ferrari, Ferrari will not play."

Marchionne says the new proposals risk turning the sport into a variant of Nascar, which uses standardised cars and changes its regulations regulary to ensure the sport remains competitive.

""If we change the sandbox to the point it becomes unrecognisable, I don't want to play any more," he said.

"I don't want to play Nascar globally, I just don't."

The Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paolo will be shown live over the weekend of 10-12 November on eir Sport in Ireland. The race is live on eir Sport 1 on Sunday, 12 November [race time 4pm]

Image: Getty images/ Mark Thompson

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