Bernie Ecclestone makes prize fund changes There will be no prize money for the last-placed team in F1 next season, boss Bernie Ecclestone has revealed. There are 11 teams in F1 in 2013 and Ecclestone hopes the plan will add more excitement at the bottom. "It's more incentive to get going and get into the top 10, a bit like football where you can go up and down," Ecclestone said. Marussia finished second last out of 12 teams in 2012, but currently sit 10th after four races, ahead of Caterham. Payments for 11th and 12th place (whilst HRT competed in the sport) were brought in during 2010 to help new teams with smaller budgets. The Concorde Agreement that governs F1 finance expired at the end of last year and a new one has yet to be signed by all parties. Does Bernie want to push out one of the slower teams in the hope of getting a big player in or is he just looking after his coffers. F1 is hardly a discount sport and although I agree a reward for coming last is a little iffy it is also necessary in such a expensive game.
He's not made a secret of his desire to have 10 teams, so this move doesn't surprise me. No doubt he'll change his mind though as soon as a bigger organisation shows an interest. I don't really know what he expects from the backmarker teams. Of course they weren't going to come in and be instantly competitive, but in the last couple of races both Marussia and Caterham have finished ahead of established teams. 3 seasons is not enough to build an independent squad, and removing prize money isn't going to make it easier for them. It's not going to be more competitive, it's just going to force 1 team out.
I could have sworn this was the case already. Nevertheless, I think my stance on Ecclestone and his treatment of the backmarkers is well-documented by this point and isn't worth repeating. Incidentally, I also wonder if this decision was forced by one or two existing teams unhappy at paying to support their competitors.
Should be okay if Marussia merge with Caterham. Rumours have been spreading Major chance of breaking into the mid pack like FI did years back.
My suspicion is that he's saying this to get something else in his usual dissembling manner. Not sure what it is yet but something to do with the new Concorde agreement would be my guess off the top of my head. It sounds like just another of his ****-stirring tactics to me.
All caterham and Marussia have to do is secretly run a team that is so bad and come last behind them.... Just like they did with HRT...Oooops!!
