Claire Williams says her team would have faced a “bleak” future in Formula 1 without the proposals outlined by the championship’s bosses during a meeting on Friday.
Formula 1 owners Liberty Media presented plans in Bahrain for the sport’s future post-2021, which include a “more balanced” distribution of revenue, and proposals to introduce a cost cap.
Haas chief Guenther Steiner says teams were privy to more detailed information than was made public and agreed to keep discussions “behind closed doors”, but Williams reckons the proposals will aid her operation.
“I was extremely positive about today’s meeting,” she said.
“I think we’ve all hoped for change under our new management and I think today they presented change.
“I think for a team like ours, based on what they presented, it was an extremely good day for us.
“I came back thinking let’s crack open some champagne, because from our perspective if we can get these new regulations through, and if Liberty/FOM do everything they say they are going to do, that they presented this morning, then from our perspective I know that Williams’ future is safe.
“That’s not to say that we were on the brink, or anywhere close, but with today’s sport and the way it is structured and with the financial disparity between teams then the likelihood of Williams’ survival into the medium and long-term was looking pretty bleak.
“Everything they presented from revenue redistribution to cost caps is absolutely everything that we want to see from 2021 and beyond, so I’m personally delighted with the proposals that they laid down.
“I know that in the past you can have these conversations and they come out and not necessarily anything is ever done about it, but I’m not sure these discussions are negotiable. That’s not the message I got anyway.”
