Force India blame Red Bull for F1's financial plight

The Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley has blamed Red Bull for Formula 1’s current financial problem that has resulted in many of the smaller teams dropping out and left struggling to pay their bills. [caption id=“attachment_2079981” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File picture of Force India car. Getty[/caption] The Formula One Team’s Association (FOTA) was negotiating with Bernie Ecclestone and F1 owners CVC Capital Partners in 2011 for all teams to receive a larger share of F1’s prize money. However according to Fernley it was Red Bull who derailed their efforts by agreeing their own deal separately with Ecclestone. Speaking to Grand Prix Times, Fernley implied that Red Bull’s deal with Bernie Ecclestone lead to the inevitable collapse of FOTA.  According to him, Red Bull’s private financial deal with CVC capital- and their exit from the Formula One Teams’ Association (FOTA) was “where the problems started”. Fernley believes that FOTA stewarded by Martin Whitmarsh was operating in a good way. “Unfortunately, and I say that because obviously Christian [Horner] is here, Red Bull felt the need to take the forty pieces of silver. And that was the downside, I think, for F1, and I don’t think we’ve recovered from that particular action.” Horner responded to Fernley’s claims and called them unfair, stating that other teams cut their own deals before Red Bull did and that was where the problems started. “It’s a little harsh of Bob to suggest that the plight of the smaller teams is all Red Bull’s fault,” he said. “ Ferrari went and cut their own deal,” he added. “Red Bull weren’t the first team to sign an agreement with Bernie. “At the same time McLaren were also in dual discussions and cut their own deal. So that’s the way of the world. We all represent out own entities and guarantees had to be given by the companies in order to be eligible for that funding. “That’s the situation I can understand the other teams’ frustration but it’s not down to Red Bull to decide what the revenue distribution is, or Ferrari, or McLaren. That’s down to Bernie and the board members at CVC and they distribute the money how they see fit.”