Horner feels the sport's Strategy Group is short-sighted
Monday 14 December 2015 18:09, UK
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has hit out at the F1 Strategy Group and the current rule-making process, calling for changes to be made for the sake of the sport.
The F1 Strategy Group is made up of the FIA, FOM, Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes and Williams, who all have permanent seats. The final position is taken by the team which finished highest in the Constructors' Championship the previous season, and that seat is currently held by Force India.
Rule changes tend to be discussed and formulated at the Strategy Group, before being passed on to the F1 Commission, where the Strategy Group members, the remaining teams and selected sponsors and promoters have a seat. Rules that pass this stage are then sent to the World Motorsport Council for final approval.
However, Horner feels the teams should only be consulted on rule changes, rather than deciding on what is implemented.
"I believe that an input is fine and the teams obviously have an investment in the business, so there is no reason why things shouldn't be discussed amongst the key stakeholders and certain teams obviously are key stakeholders," Horner said.
"The Strategy Group is supposed to be looking at the longevity of Formula 1, but what the Strategy Group continually gets embroiled in is firefighting issues of the current day. Instead of looking at what a Formula 1 car should be like in 2020 and beyond, we are constantly dealing with issues of today and tomorrow, rather than further down the road.
"Of course, there has to be consultation with the teams, but at the end of the day, someone has to run the business and somebody has to say 'this is the route that we are going' and a democratic approach to that will not work in our opinion."
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Horner called on the FIA and FOM to reclaim governance of the sport.
"We all spin wheels talking about things and sitting in endless meetings and we seem to achieve very little traction," the Red Bull boss said.
"I think while we are trying to achieve it in a democratic manner, sometimes someone just has to grab the bull by the horns and say 'this is what we are doing, this is where we are going, this is what F1 needs to be'.
"It has be the FIA and FOM because at the end of the day the FIA and the promoter should determine what the sport is. They should say 'this is what the fans want, this is what works, this is what F1 should be, these are the rules, if you want to enter enter, if you don't go and do something else'."
The WMSC has in recent weeks granted Bernie Ecclestone and FIA president Jean Todt powers to make decisions and suggestions related to pressing issues in the sport, including governance and the cost of power units. Ecclestone, however, has indicated that the mandate is likely to be met by opposition from leading teams such as Ferrari.
Meanwhile, Horner also highlighted the role fans play in F1 and, amid falling race attendances, says it is important to improve the show.
"There are things that need sorting out for the future and we need strong leadership," he added.
"We need strong leadership from the commercial rights holder and the governing body to plot the path for the future that addresses what the fans want and what the fans want to see because without them there is no Formula 1. Formula 1 ultimately has to be a show, it has to be entertainment and it has to appeal to a broad spectrum of spectators.
"Predictable and serial results and winning is difficult for any sport. We [Red Bull] were accused of it, but we never enjoyed this continuation of success [compared to Mercedes] - two of our world championships went to the last race and we never, ever finished first and second in a world championship. Inevitably with that kind of predictability people get turned off."
So what does Horner want to see changed?
"It needs a rejig to bring it closer together," he said. "I don't think anyone wants to see Fernando Alonso just taking part, we want to see him competing, we want to see Daniel Ricciardo competing, Sebastian Vettel competing against Mercedes.
"The teams will never achieve that, because there is far too much self-interest and you can't expect the teams to achieve that. That is for the regulator and the governing body to come up with a set of rules that achieve those objectives."
