TEAM PRINCIPALS: Ross BRAWN (Mercedes), Stefano DOMENICALI (Ferrari), Adam PARR (Williams), Franz TOST (Toro Rosso)
PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
Q. It has been announced that Formula 1 is going back to America. What sort of effect is that going to have plus the fact that we are going to another major economy in India next year? Do you see that having a reflection with the sponsorship that you are able to get? Is that going to have a major effect on the finances of Formula 1?
Adam PARR: We are very, very excited about it. Two of our sponsors – one of them is based in Texas, AT&T, and Thomson Reuters have a couple of thousands employees there, so it is great for our partners in particular. But, obviously, more generally I think it is fantastic for the sport because not being in America is wrong for a global sport and I think it is brilliant all around. Well done, Bernie. Just when you think the old boy has given up the ghost, he comes up with a fantastic deal.
Q. Do you really think he has given up the ghost?
AP: That was off the record by the way.
Q. Franz?
Franz TOST: Thanks to Bernie as well, as for Red Bull it is very important. It is a major market and we are looking forward. I have always said that at least we would need two grands prix in America, one on the west side and one on the east side. Now we have one and it is very, very important for us to go there as well as for our sponsors.
Stefano DOMENICALI: Difficult to add to what Adam and Franz have said. As you know the U.S. is the main market for our (Ferrari) brand, so really great news. You know that all the teams were pushing to go back since basically when we left the U.S. to go back straight away, so this is great news and really delighted. Texas is another area where we sell cars, so it is important for us.
Ross BRAWN: Hats off to Bernie, as it is something we all want and need and he has done a great job again in finding an American grand prix. It is very important commercially but also important to continue to spread our fan base as there are a lot of keen enthusiasts in America who have been deprived of a race for a little while. We always found a huge, very specialist enthusiasm in America for Formula 1 and we are delighted to be going back.
Q. Another question to all of you. There's been an agreement not to use the double diffuser, an agreement not to use the F-duct next year. Is there anything else that might be rearing its head? Is there anything else that you might be agreeing on? Is there anything else you want to get rid of in terms of the technical side of things?
AP: Well, we have got a whole package of, I think, great proposals for next year. Ross is leading the way as chairman of the Technical Working Group of FOTA, so he might want to say a bit more about it. But I think there are some really exciting and interesting changes on the horizon. We haven't quite finished the process yet but hopefully Ross will nurse it all through in the next few days.
RB: I think Adam was right. We are not quite there yet. I think it would be presumptuous to say exactly what we are trying to do. But we are mindful of always trying to improve the show, always trying to improve the potential for good racing and also mindful of constantly having to push back the performance of the cars because every year we gain one or two seconds and every year or two we have to push that back again. Some of the changes you mentioned are happening but there is a package of other changes that we are all in discussion trying to find the best way forward. But quite excited about the prospects for next year. I think we have got some good things but I don't want to say too much until all the teams are comfortable with the proposals.
Q. Is there anything more to add, Franz?
FT: No, nothing special. On the one side Formula 1 is the big of motorsports and this is the creativity of the engineers that they are coming up with new specifications. Whether it is the double diffuser or the F-duct. I don't know what's in the brain of the engineers. Maybe they have five other new special parts on the car which they will not show now but next year. Then we discuss once more to get rid of it. We will see.
Q. Stefano?
SD: No, nothing to add. The same position on my side.