A survey has revealed that world championship winner Renault
spent significantly less than its main rivals on last seasons
Formula 1 campaign.
F1 Racing magazine carries out an annual study of teams finances,
using accounts filed at Companies House and extrapolating the
figures to estimate how much each team spent on various aspects of
its 2005 programme.
According to its research, Renault spent
an estimated $287.81 million to win both titles, far less than the
$499.05 million that Toyota is thought to have ploughed into its
season.
Ferrari and McLaren completed the big spenders top three, on
$432.98 million and $419.95 million respectively.
The magazine analysed teams expenditure in ten different
categories, including research and development, wind tunnel time,
testing, corporate entertainment and driver salaries.
Toyota topped six of the tables, with Renault only once nosing into
the top five, and that was for the $18.25 million it is understood
to have paid its drivers.
Other notable statistics include Red Bulls $10.70 million outlay
on corporate entertainment and the size of the spending gulf
between F1s biggest and smallest teams.
Minardi is estimated to have spent $0.45 million on R&D in
2005, compared to the $63.40 million that Toyota devoted to its
equivalent programme.
The study suggests that the entire pit lane spent a total of
$2,814,720,000 to put 20 cars on the grid for 19 races last
year.
A full breakdown of the F1 spending statistics can be found in the
latest issue of F1 Racing magazine, on sale now.
ITV-F1.com