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Horner: Liberty 'forming game plan' for 2021 F1 action

Christian Horner assesses Liberty Media's maiden Formula 1 season and expects it to put together a plan to make its mark on the sport in 2021.

Red Bull Christian Horner has assessed Liberty Media's maiden Formula 1 season in charge and expects the new owners to continue to put together a plan to make its mark on the sport in 2021.

While Liberty took centre stage of the 2017 season finale by unveiling its new logo during the podium ceremony in Abu Dhabi, Horner has been encouraged by its rookie year in charge having purchased the controlling rights at the start of 2017 and axing Bernie Ecclestone from head management.

Liberty has been keen to use its first year to learn about the sport and understand how it can improve Formula 1 both commercially and sporting with a big focus placed on 2021 with the expected raft of rule changes both to team payments and rules.

Horner says he's not concerned about a slight dip in team payments for 2018, coupled with Liberty spending more on marketing and research into the sport, as he points towards the bigger focus in just over three years time.

"You have to invest in the business to accumulate and Liberty have had a big learning year," Horner said. "They have done a season now. They have applied the right specialists in my opinion in the right areas and they are forming their game plan for 2021.

"It is very easy to criticise, whether it is head counts or spending. It is just a different mentality to how Bernie operated. Bernie ran a very tight, closed shop. He was the marketing department. He was the sales department. It was very much a one man show.

"Liberty having acquired the business and have put a structure in place. They are looking to put a bit more analysis into the future as well and there is a cost associated with that. Inevitably there is going to be an investment which will have an effect on 2018, probably even 2019, but then you'd expect to see a return for sure two years down the road."

Red Bull will also see a small fall in F1 prize money after ending the 2017 season third in the World Constructors' championship, dropping a place behind Ferrari from last year, with Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen in fifth and sixth place respectively in the drivers' standings.

Zdroj: crash.net