Alfa Romeo has no problem with it: 'That's our backyard'

With the introduction of the budget cap, several teams have had to make quite a few internal adjustments to meet the spending limit. However, there are also teams that operate below the limit and even have some room to manoeuvre to get more out of it. This includes Alfa Romeo, who have so far experienced few problems with the budget cap.

Our backyard

Frédéric Vasseur is asked by Auto, Motor und Sport if he and his team are facing any advantages since the introduction of the budget cap, to which he replies, "I don't know what problems the big teams have or don't have with the cost cap. I only know that we are under the cost cap."

"The goal is to get there. So we have to increase the team's revenue. That's where our opportunity lies. Budgets this size are our backyard, where we know our way around. Others have to adapt first." So this makes it relatively easy for Alfa Romeo, as they know better than anyone how to run a team within the budget cap. This is also their 'backyard'.

Now they still have some slack in there, so if they generate more revenue they can do even more. This is because they do not reach the limit with their annual spending, but it will come their way after a while. Or in the words of Vasseur: "The budget ceiling will also come our way a bit in the coming years. It will continue to come down in two steps."

Quick to see

For this year, the budget cap seems to have little effect on the track. The only thing that teams are/are falling over right now is the addition of sprint races which could cause additional costs. An exception has been made for this, but another point of discussion is of course the flexible rear wing. If it has to be adapted by the teams that also brings some costs with it.

Apart from that Vasseur expects the effects of the budget cap to be more noticeable next year when the new regulations come into force. Vasseur: "I can imagine that. The big teams now have to reorganise and build a completely new car under this pressure. That's two tasks at the same time and therefore a great challenge." Alfa Romeo also has to switch of course and they have already done so at the factory.

"We started working on the new car on 1 January and in between we spent another week or two on the 2021 car. That is now complete," Vasseur says in conclusion.