"The rich teams have always been at an advantage when it comes to rule changes"

From 2021, the budget cap in Formula 1 will come into effect. However, the major effects of this will most likely only be felt from 2023 onwards.

Alfa Romeo team manager Beat Zehnder certainly sees the advantages that smaller teams will have over the big teams when the budget cap kicks in. But he does not think the small teams will feel that benefit before 2022.

Small teams finally at an advantage

"We are very efficient," Zehnder told Auto, Motor und Sport. "If I look at the staff list of all the teams and compare them, we permanently have the fewest employees on the track. But the advantage will only become clear in 2023 or 2024. The big teams will not lay off 300 to 400 people overnight."

According to Zehnder, the big teams will use the transition period to develop the 2022 cars with more resources and staff. "The rich teams have always been at an advantage in rule changes. But in terms of procedures, it is possible that the big teams will find the adaptation phase more difficult than the teams that do not have to change anything."