http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=31906
From ITV-F1: Paul Stoddart has revealed that Ferrari are subsidised by the other nine teams on the grid. The Minardi boss made the dramatic disclosure in an interview that appears in the latest edition of F1 Racing magazine. Asked if he thought the FIA were under the thumb of Ferrari, Stoddart replied: No, I just think... Ferrari are special. Why do all the other teams pay money, real chequebook-out money, to Ferrari every year, under the Concorde Agreement? Why on earth, with our tight finances, do Minardi, for example, have to pay money to Ferrari every year? Theres no good reason for it. "The answer were given is that its in recognition of their historical contribution to the sport. Stoddart is also unhappy with the influence that the world champions have over the sports regulations. He said: Theres talk, and I cant say if its true or not, that the 2005 regulations were written by, among others, 18 people from Ferrari. "Its only paddock talk, of course but then again, Max has openly conceded that the FIA consulted Ferrari, hasnt he? Ive got a lot of respect for Ferrari, particularly for Michael (Schumacher), but if a team are totally dominating the championship, and have done for years and will do so for the next few years, then it adds insult to injury to let these people write the rules because its fairly obvious theyll write them in a way that suits them. Believe me, Ferrari are going to win the 2005 and 2006 titles, and theres nothing any of us can do about it. http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=31906 Sorry - just realised someone else has already posted this: DOH!!!
How about writing somthing in the thread title about the subject, so there isn't 500 posts about the same issue? "Interesting", "WOW", "Shocker" etc... is useless.
I do think the current Concorde agreement sucks ... i.e top teams getting all the funds, etc., but as for the rules and impact Ferrari has on the series, er, ofcourse they have a big impact. Grow Minardi into a top team and Stoddart's impact on the series will grow too. Pete
Paul Stoddart is a bitter man that cannot stomach the fact that Ferrari will win the 2005 and 2006 championship. Minardi will never be able to compete at the top level and will probably go belly up in the next year or so. If Paul Stoddart thinks that Ferrari are in complete control and the Concorde agreement sucks then he should quit F1. Why compete in something you know you cannot win? After all he is complaining because he cannot win. No one is forcing him to be in F1. He can just as easily take his team and compete in a lower formula series. No one held a gun to is head and made him sign the Concorde agreement!!! He signed it because he wanted to be in F1. I hate people that complain. Don't complaing about the situation if you agreed to be part of it!
Gee imperial, I actually agree with you. I have not seen any proof yet that Paul has moved Minardi forward one bit ... and I am disappointed with this. Any team can eventually win, but you cannot win by doing nothing, you need to invest in the future of the team and achieve some sort of improvement every year ... like say new factory, new manufacturing equipment, wind tunnel, etc. Pete
The bottom line is the other teams obviously feel paying Ferrari is worth it. Didn't Ron Dennis himself; arch Ferrari detractor recently say that paying Ferrari an extra $5 million (or was it $50mm?) to join the GPWC was worth it? Paul Stoddart has demonstrated time and time again that he's willing to say a lot of things in public if he thinks it will help his team. Most team principals would, of course, but Stoddart has been especially vocal these past couple of years. Remember Ron Dennis' "soup kitchen" comment to PS in 2003 at the Canadian GP. Maybe Ron is now lining up for a handout...
I agree completely. I have no sympathy for Paul Stoddart or for the Minardi team. They chose to be in F1. If they cannot compete at the top level no one is forcing them to stay in F1. The door is open. LEAVE! Paul has been going on and on for the past two years how everything is unfair and there is a conspiracy to let Ferrari win. Paul, there is no conspiracy. The fact in F1 is that Ferrari will continue to win because teams such as Minardi do not have the determination to compete.
As Stoddart says he pays real money out of his checkbook every year to Ferrari, could we please see just a couple of the cancelled checks? Paul, we swear we'll never doubt you again....
I thought this was common knowledge. Ferrari brings huge ratings, from which all the teams benefit (case in point- I became interested in F1 because that is where Ferrari races). That said, while I understand the system, I don't agree with it. This agreement dates back to a very different Ferrari team, and after the success of the past few years, I don't see the need for this futal system. As for Stoddard, I like his style. He came in, staked his claim, and is holding his ground against the F1 establishment. With their budget the fact that they manage to show up each week is more of an accomplishment than most other teams manage with their meager results (Toyota). I agree that the real proof of Stoddard's efforts is if the team grows, but that does take time, and they have been busy fighting for survival, so give it more than 2 seasons before you render a verdict.
I don't understand: is Minardi and every other team directly paying Ferrari because of historical significant reasons? And how long is this going on? And why didn't Stoddard complain any sooner about this? Or is he talking BS and is he refering to the fact that every team pays an amount of money to F1 and the top runners get a share out of this budget? If so, why is Stoddard complaining about Ferrari and not BAR? I think it's pathetic (sp?) how the other teams are trying to make Ferrari a scapegoat for all their own and F1's problems. Really makes me wonder why I should watch F1 anymore..
To over simplify (dial-up in a cheap hotel room): By the Concorde agreement, the teams get a fixed share of certain revenues, almost entirely from TV. (The major contention of most teams is that this number is far, far too low, with Bernie taking too much. Paul Stoddart has been taking Bernie's position on several issues, such as the proposed testing ban.) Rather than dividing this sum on an exactly equal basis among all teams, Ferrari gets a slightly larger percentage, based on its long history in F1. (Ferrari is in fact the only team to participate from the beginning of the Formula One/Grand Prix championship in 1951.) This is a purely commercial decision, based also on the belief that Ferrari's presence in F1 brings in more fan support. All ten teams (including Minardi) signed this agreement. When Paul Stoddart says that the money comes out of his checkbook, and that he is paying Ferrari (and similar statements) he is not being exactly accurate. It can be argued that this system is fair or not, but it cannot be argued that all teams agreed to the system, including the extra percentage for Ferrari.
To all the previous posters who were mentioning that Paul Stoddart is doing a pathetic job .... just take a look at this Race #1: Australia 2005 Pole - Ferrari - 1'24.408" Fastest Minardi - 1:30.681" Difference - Minardi is 7.4% slower Race #18: China 2005 Pole - Ferrari - 1'10.646" Fastest Minardi - 1'13.550" Difference - Minardi is only 4% slower A couple of observations: - Minardi closed the gap by a decent bit by the end of the year. So there was development done by Minardi to improve the car. They werent sleeping on the job. Note: Both cars share the same tires. So it is not really a factor. - Minardi do not have the benefit of drivers with 200+ races under their belt. They also do not test as much - not enough money. - A 96% performance rating to Ferrari with reputedly 80% lesser budget is a fabulous achievement anywhere. - One of the key persons in Minardi "John Boy" died this year. So some of their impetus was perhaps hurt. F1 to me is not just about the big boys. Sure I like Ferrari but I feel F1 wouldnt be F1 without the underdogs as well - Minardi, Jordan, etc. If one was critizing performance - teams like Jaguar and Toyota need to be whipped for their pathetic performance given their budget. I personally root for Ferrari, Kimi, Sauber (mainly because of Peter Sauber) and Minardi.
That is great and impressive ... but maybe the China track suited the Minardi (?). Anyway (as I pointed out earlier) where is the long term investment in the team. Yes I appreciate that they work hard at improving their car during the season, but F1 is not only about racing the current car, it is about investing in your teams future and expertise ... and I have not heard of Minardi improving the facilities one bit. You normally hear all about this stuff as it attracts sponsors 'cause they can see you are aiming to move forward. Pete
Yes they would if they could ... poor guys are scrabbling to survive - I mean if they are resorting to scavenging old Arrows parts and other cars it shows that they are struggling. I guess their best hope is to partner with a manufacturer ... of course this would mean loss of their independence
Another team paying Ferrari for their historical significance... LOL! Excuse me while I grab my genitals in a vulgar gesture. What would happen if teams started pulling out? Serious consequences is an understatement. Too bad that will never happen. Credit is due to Ferrari for keeping themselves positioned above the other teams, on and OFF the track. It will be a great day for the sport when Ferrari are beaten at their own game.
