Carlos Tavares has no doubts, Formula 1 will have big problems in the future: here’s what and when they will have to be addressed.
There Formula 1 it’s a huge world, which influences various fields of application even outside the track. One of these is, without a doubt, technological development which, nowadays, mainly focuses on future electrification. At the center of this discussion is Stellantis, which had a direct relationship with Formula 1 until last year, thanks to the sponsorship between Sauber and Alfa Romeo.
Carlos TavaresCEO of Stellantis, spoke on the occasion of the Formula E Misano Grand Prix, in which Stellantis is investing together with the Endurance World Championship. The words of the boss of the automotive group were quite clear, with a return to Formula 1 which today seems rather distant and far-fetched. “Formula 1 is a fantastic tool for developing hybrid technology. The problem is that it will clash with the ban on internal combustion engines starting from 2035. So I have a question: what will you do when the auto industry faces lockdown? So far they have exploited hybrid technology to develop batteries and other components. But this is a strategic problem that they must solve,” commented Carlos Tavares.
Tavares, there is also an ethical problem: the details
Formula 1 is actively addressing the problem, and in fact from 2026 the new regulation will come into force which will triple the electric power of the hybrid power unit.
For Carlos Tavares, however, if on the one hand Formula 1 would be an excellent investment, on the other there is a ethical stumbling block quite big to overcome. “Formula 1 is probably the most efficient marketing tool. It is the best category in terms of media impact on people. The budget cap is an excellent tool for leveling costs and, consequently, investment returns, and this is why F1 is the best marketing tool. However, we must consider that it would be a considerable expense, and that ethical reasoning and thought would need to be made people in the factory. How can you look the workers in the eyes and tell them that we spend 20 million euros on Formula 1 while they ask for a few cents? It is an ethical issue to which I am very sensitive, I am very close to my workers. Ethically this is a big problem for Formula 1,” concluded Tavares.
