The costs of competing in Formula 1 spiralled out of control in the 2000s (Toyota’s 2008 budget was $446m), and the financial crisis made cuts vital. So in 2009, Max Mosley’s FIA proposed a $44m optional cap to unlock more technical freedoms. All 10 teams then threatened to create a breakaway series. After months of dramatic political manoeuvring, the cap was dropped and Mosley walked. BMW and Toyota still quit F1 to save money, though, and the three teams that joined in 2010 having expected a cap were left hopelessly outgunned.
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