Ferrari made a fresh bid to introduce customer cars to Formula 1 during a meeting of all 11 teams during the Canadian Grand Prix, and once again, the idea was quickly dismissed.
The idea of a handful of top teams selling chassis to smaller outfits has long been backed by Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo who believes it would strengthen the sport and ease the financial pressures on the lesser teams.
The proposal was brought up during the meeting, but unlike a return for in-season testing, it failed to garner the support of a majority of teams.
Williams strongly oppose the idea of customers cars, or third cars, and their former chairman Adam Parr believes such a move would mark the end of the sport.
“I do not know how probable [their introduction] is, but I do know that the introduction of customers cars will demonstrate the abject failure of the FIA and the Commercial Rights Holder in their stewardship of Formula One.
“It would also mark the beginning of the end of the sport,” he told The F1 Times Magazine.
Speaking about the current regulations, Parr approves of Pirelli and the drag-reduction-system, despite both areas proving a touchy subject for F1 fans.
“I fully support Pirelli’s approach and the DRS,” he added. “The DRS simply offsets the disadvantage of the following car – with F1 cars we have the opposite dynamics to NASCAR where the following car can not only get a draft but can ‘bump’ the car in front.
“The tyres are the same for everyone, so claims of infairness are feeble.
“I remember back in 2007 that you could predict with reasonable accuracy who would win Monaco after the first corner. People used to say they would watch the start and then (if they remembered) watch the finish. It’s not like that now! If you don’t concentrate you are lost. And isn’t that how it should be?”
You can read the full interview in June’s issue of The F1 Times Magazine.
