Martin Whitmarsh: We need to bring Honda, Toyota, BMW, Volkswagen, Audi and Hyundai back in Formula1
McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh has stated that Formula 1 sport has to become attractive for more automotive companies to step in.
Whitmarsh stated that Formula 1 cannot run with four engine suppliers and in near future it will need more engine suppliers and brands to run.
The British man added that Honda, Toyota, BMW, Volkswagen, Audi and Hyundai should be brought back in Formula 1 so that the popularity of the sport is increased and the investors can make some profit in the end.
He said, “We need to create an environment of governance which convinces the Hondas, Toyotas and BMWs that it was wrong to pull out and I believe that in time we will get them back and probably can add the Volkswagen/Audis, the Hyundai’s, whatever.”
He also stated that almost 107 teams have come in and gone out of the Formula 1 arena and now only four-engine suppliers remain through which the sport will not last longer.
However, Whitmarsh stated that Formula 1 has to take the initial step to make the sport interesting and attractive in order for more suppliers to jump in. The first of these efforts is the shift to V6 engines which will probably convince more automotive
companies to join Formula 1.
Whitmarsh added that although investment in Formula 1 is not everything for an automotive company, still a lot of revenue can be generated through this.
“You have to accept that an automotive company’s core business isn’t Formula One, and consequently we have to accept that there will be times when their marketing budgets will make them pull out, so they will come and go and we should not criticize them
for that,” commented Whitmarsh.
Although the spectator attendance in the Silverstone Grand Prix showed that Formula 1 is still a major sport, still a lot of work needs to be done by the organisers of the sport to keep it the pinnacle of motorsports in the upcoming years.
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