![\"Gerard-Lopez-1\"](\"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/gallery\/f1-2014-rif-images\/f1-2014-persons\/Gerard-Lopez-1.jpg\")
The powerful ‘Strategy Group’ teams – comprising the ‘big four’ Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren but also Williams and Lotus – recently wrote to Jean Todt indicating they would not approve the FIA president’s cap proposal.<\/p>\nLotus team owner Gerard Lopez on Sunday indicated he was unhappy to have joined the opposition against the introduction of budget caps.<\/p>\n
The powerful ‘Strategy Group’ teams – comprising the ‘big four’ Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren but also Williams and Lotus – recently wrote to Jean Todt indicating they would not approve the FIA president’s cap proposal.<\/p>\n
Williams is included in the group due to the team’s past success and history, while Lotus is also a member after finishing the 2013 season in fourth place.<\/p>\n
But Lopez hinted to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport that the two smaller teams were bullied into signing the letter.<\/p>\n
“Williams and us were pulled over the table,” he is quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
The biggest teams, however, argue not only that the proposed $200 million cap would not help their small rivals, but that it could not even be effectively policed.<\/p>\n
And Mercedes’ Toto Wolff is quoted on Sunday: “It makes no sense to introduce rules that are not supported by the three major teams.”<\/p>\n
The big teams’ counter-proposal is for cost cuts to be achieved by introducing some new technical and sporting regulations.<\/p>\n
“We need to find meaningful limits,” Wolff explained, “such as extending the parc ferme or the curfew.<\/p>\n
“We need to discuss, for example, whether it is sensible to fly in new parts on every day during a race weekend, or 24 hour shifts before races.”<\/p>\n
The small teams, however, are sceptical, believing that the big teams are already finding ways around the existing cost-saving measures, such as limited wind tunnel use.<\/p>\n
“When I see the downforce of the big teams, it’s impossible within the allowable limits,” a representative of one small team is quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
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