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Ferrari principal Mattia Binotto told the
http://www.formula1.com website that his Italian team, who
started a three-week factory shutdown on Thursday after Formula
One canceled the August break, was willing to do what was
necessary.
"We will have a conference call with all the other teams, F1 and
(governing body) FIA to discuss the situation and the impact it
has not only on this season but also on the next one," he said.
"We must carefully evaluate every aspect and see if it is not
really the case to think about possibly postponing the
introduction of the new 2021 technical rules.
"In any case, Ferrari is ready to take responsibility for a
choice that must be made in the ultimate interest of this sport,
it is certainly not the time for selfishness and tactics."
The sport is due to introduce major technical and sporting
changes next year, along with a cost cap and restructured
governance.
The change, one of the biggest in the sport's recent history and
years in the making, is aimed at leveling the playing field and
improving the racing.
Teams face significant financial pressures, however, as they
devote resources to designing radically different cars for 2021
while also developing the 2020 ones.
Privately-run outfits, such as former champions Williams who
finished last in 2019, are already operating on tight budgets
that risk shrinking further following the cancellation and
postponement of races.
Teams get much of their income from the sport's overall
revenues.
Multiple sources told Reuters that postponing the 2021
regulations by a year was on the agenda, along with race
rescheduling.
Formula One's commercial managing director Ross Brawn told Sky
Sports F1 television recently that weekends could be condensed
in a restructured calendar.
"I think by freeing up the August break, we give ourselves
several weekends where we can have a race. And I think we can
build a pretty decent calendar for the rest of the year," said
the Briton.
"One thing we have been talking about is two-day weekends, and
therefore if we have a triple header (three races on successive
Sundays) with two-day weekends, that could be an option.
"I think what we need from the teams this year is flexibility, I
think they've got to give some scope to do these things... we've
got to make sure we've got a season that gives a good economic
opportunity for the teams."
Formula One is hoping to start racing again at the end of May,
subject to review, but what was billed as a record 22-race
season has already lost the Australian opener with three other
rounds postponed so far.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
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