Renault Formula 1 boss Cyril Abiteboul says driver salaries require more control amid ongoing talks regarding the sustainability of the sport.
There is currently a push from F1 teams for increased cost control for the future following the pandemic, with a budget cap of $NZ238million to be introduced from next year.
The original budget cap was proposed last October which made a number of exclusions such as driver salaries. However, some team principals want them included to prevent them spiralling.
Abiteboul confirmed that discussions regarding driver salaries are ongoing between teams.
While he acknowledged there are complexities due to the legal nature of the driver contracts, he felt it was important to get them under control.
“It’s part of the debate, part of what’s on the table, [but has] an additional complexity of legality, because we need to make sure that it’s legal, in the sense that we need to make sure that it’s forceable,”
“And also the extra complexity that you have some drivers that have already very long-term contracts – so congratulations to Max [Verstappen] in that respect.
“But I think if we need to make exceptions for systems that will be healthy, and important for the sustainability of the sport, I think we still need to do it.
“We should not have one given individual, one given situation, in your current case Max’s contract or Charles [Leclerc’s] contract with Ferrari, to block a process if it is a right process.
“We think bringing a bit of rationale on driver salary when a number of people will be laid off because of the budget cap would make sense.”
