Jul.1 (GMM) Christian Horner says Red Bull will not accept a reduction in the income it gets from F1’s Bernie Ecclestone-led organisation.
F1 supremo Ecclestone has flagged changes to the controversial system that distributes the lion’s share of the commercial revenue to the biggest teams — including handsome ‘bonuses’.
“Yes, no bonus,” the 85-year-old said ahead of the Austrian grand prix. “Everyone’s in the same boat (after 2020).”
World champions Mercedes’ chief Toto Wolff said increases to the income pool should be distributed in a “fair and reasonable” way beyond 2020, but said he thinks bonus payments remain fair.
But Force India supremo Vijay Mallya told The Times that bonuses that leave out the smaller teams are “absolute rubbish”.
“We all have an equal right to be on that a grid. We are not asking for hundreds of millions of pounds,” he said.
Red Bull’s Horner, meanwhile, said that while he is open to the smaller teams getting more, he would not accept that if it means Red Bull gets less.
“I don’t think any team will be happy to take less money,” he said.
“If he (Ecclestone) can bring in the revenues to bring up the bottom line, then fine.”