Agence France-Presse
London, Dec 1: Nico Rosberg’s victory in Sunday’s season-closing Formula One (F1) Abu Dhabi Grand Prix may not install him as favourite to unseat his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton next year for one simple reason and that is the sport itself facing a very uncertain future.
As F1 heads home for a winter of rest and re-organisation, it is the sport itself that faces the biggest challenge next year with several teams struggling to cope with the huge costs, uncertainty surrounding the number of entries and no clear sense of direction for the future.
Two-time champion Fernando Alonso’s post-race rant at the inconsistency – and ineffectiveness – of the sport’s ruling body, the International Motoring Federation (FIA), summed up his season and the views of many after a year in which his team McLaren-Honda endured endless failings and disappointments.
“It’s FIA things,” said Alonso. “We see the grandstands half empty on this (Abu Dhabi) circuit – and half empty on most circuits. And there are championships, which are overtaking us on the right, like WEC, MotoGP… And then we are trying to make the cars louder! I think we need a bit of common sense.”
Embroiled in financial, political and technical problems, the season ended Sunday with few signals that a brighter future lies ahead. Earlier in the week, former FIA president Max Mosley told the ‘BBC’ that F1 was in serious trouble and nobody wanted to buy the business because it had become too expensive.
“There are only two or three teams that can really afford to spend the money that’s being spent now,” said Mosley. “The others are either on the verge of having to stop, or at least greatly disadvantaged by not having enough money. The crux of the matter is the rich teams don’t want the less rich teams to become competitive.”
Renault are yet to announce their plans for next year, leaving a proposed take-over of Lotus in limbo, and Honda, after their chastening experience back in F1 with McLaren, are not yet in a position to challenge anyone.
That may not be a note on which a season should end, but it signals more of the same for 2016. In an enlarged calendar, with a new American team in Haas and races in virgin F1 territory, the show will go on led by a Mercedes team hoping to continue its current ascendancy with a much-improved Sebastian Vettel-inspired Ferrari in closer pursuit.
But behind them, with Red Bull rebuilding, McLaren recovering and the rest battling to stay on top of their bills, it is difficult to predict how many teams will line up on the grid in Melbourne.
