The economic pressure around the globe generated by Russia’s war in Ukraine is unlikely to spare F1. While Haas were first to feel its implications, the sport’s top teams are likely to be next.
Of course this pales into comparison with the far graver consequences of war for those involved in it. Next to the loss of lives in Ukraine, the matter of whether cars go around a track amounts to nothing.
But the reality it the political world shapes the sporting one. We have seen obvious examples of this already as a result of the war, more are expected and given the volatility of the situation, who can say with certainty what is to follow?
Clearly when F1 designed the budget cap in 2019, ahead of its introduction last year, no one foresaw the circumstances the western world has found itself in and the financial implications. First came two years of businesses attempting to keep their heads above water during the Covid-19 pandemic. Then three weeks ago Russian president Vladimir Putin…