Abiteboul criticises cost of competing in F1

F1 is expensive, we all know that. Not just the money that goes into the cars,  but paying all the team members, travelling across the world to compete in 21 Grands Prix, it all adds up.

And Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul has hit out at the cost of being competitive in Formula One.

Renault managed to finish fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, with Nico Hulkenberg seventh in the drivers’ standings, being the best of the rest, behind the three giants of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

The gap between the top three teams and the rest is often criticised and Abiteboul believes it is due to the differing budget size of the teams.

He told Racer: "I don’t want to be moaning about the situation, because when we joined Formula 1 we knew the situation.

"What’s quite remarkable is the arms race and the relentless spend in order to win — which I fully respect and I think it has afforded a great racing season this year, so we just need to see how we can emulate at some point.

"At some point there will be a different deal on money distribution. At some point there will have to be a limitation of spend because in our opinion it’s just not sustainable and I believe — correct me if I’m wrong — but I believe this is a shared feeling from everyone."