Dennis criticises F1 'whingers'

Dennis says plans to cut costs are badly thought out

By Andrew Benson BBC Sport Online motorsport editor in Barcelona

McLaren boss Ron Dennis has hit out at the Formula One "whingers" complaining about the rising costs of the sport.

Dennis said team owners who complained money was short and that teams were in danger of going out of business were only making things harder for themselves.

His remarks come after weeks of gripes that F1 is too expensive and that something needs to be done to reduce costs.

This has come largely from team owners like Eddie Jordan and Arrows' Tom Walkinshaw, who do not have as much money as they want.

Eddie Jordan and Ron Dennis do not agree

Dennis said teams complaining about financial problems were only making it more difficult to find extra sponsorship.

"If you want to talk down a share price on the stock market, it is one of the easiest things you can do.

"If you want to worsen the economic situation in Grand Prix racing, the best way to do it is to promote the economic crisis aggressively and whinge and moan about how difficult it is.

"This is a sport that has always required money. How much money it costs is a personal affair [for each team]," Dennis said.

"There is a dip in world sport as regards the viewing public, but F1 is holding its own.

"We're all going to feel the pinch and we're all having to cut costs, but it's totally counter-productive to go on about it."

You'll only make the share price weaker by talking about it

McLaren boss
Ron Dennis

Motor racing's governing body, the FIA, has already introduced a new rule to limit teams to no more than one engine per Grand Prix weekend from 2004.

And now there is a move to ban all testing between races during the season.

But Dennis said the team owners proposing these changes had a hidden agenda to try to close the gap between the top teams and the also-rans - and that it would achieve exactly the opposite effect.

"There is no regulation that obliges you to go testing. What they're really saying is let's try to level the technical playing field.

Cost cutting

"My answer is: focus, limit your testing, cut costs, downscale [your business] and wait for the world economy to pick up a little bit.

"You'll only make the share price weaker by talking about it."

Dennis said the plans so far proposed to cut costs were badly thought out, a view backed up by most bosses of top teams.

Williams team owner Frank Williams said: "Some teams fear that too much talking about the situation will make it worse.

No sense

"A team with a good budget will... probably do most of the winning and you either try to keep up or get out. This is summed up in one word - competition.

"I recognise that if all the small teams disappeared one by one, we would look a bit silly, I just don't think that will happen."

Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn added: "I don't want to be conceited because we have the [necessary] budget.

"But some of the proposals which are being made to reduce costs don't make any sense at all."