Will Haas be alone seeking F1 pay drivers if Liberty pay out halved next term?

[John S]

If this quote from an article on GP247.com about Haas looking for pay drivers is credible then more than one team may be seeking other revenue streams next term.

"The major problem is next year the teams will get approximately half the usual amount of money from Liberty Media because the revenues have fallen by that amount this year due to the pandemic." Grandprix247.com, yesterday. 

If this half payout is true teams like Williams, McLaren and even Alfa might be forced to seek partners, if not sponsored pay drivers in one form or another to balance the books.

Even Red Bull may see the advantage to taking the heavily backed Perez in preference to Albon or Gasly, especially with bigger costs on the horizon from engines due to Honda's departure.

Might we see the return of the 'Kaltenborn paradox', more signed drivers than seats? 

[Jericoke]

Surely the teams have known all along that 2021 was going to be a lean year (hence the development 'freeze' rules in place)

I also wonder how that's going to affect Hamilton.  He's put off signing with Mercedes, but it's going to be really easy for the team to plead poverty/market forces.  The board might not feel like sending twice as much to Hamilton as Perez might bring in.  I can't imagine Mercedes wanting to cut ties with Lewis, but without the Toto buffer, the new guy might want to put on a show of strength.  And I similarly didn't foresee Ferrari shoving Schumacher out the door either.

[Alianora La Canta]

So the teams have done approximately 80% of their usual workload to get 50% of their money? Yes, I can see how that would result in an unforeseen . Back when it looked like it would be vaguely proportional, the development freeze might well have been enough, but it won't be now for any vulnerable team.

Not sure Williams is vulnerable as the new owners are quite rich. Alfa Romeo might be able to get more funds from their eponymous partner. Haas and McLaren, however, probably are in trouble of varying degrees.

[Jericoke]

So the teams have done approximately 80% of their usual workload to get 50% of their money? Yes, I can see how that would result in an unforeseen . Back when it looked like it would be vaguely proportional, the development freeze might well have been enough, but it won't be now for any vulnerable team.

Not sure Williams is vulnerable as the new owners are quite rich. Alfa Romeo might be able to get more funds from their eponymous partner. Haas and McLaren, however, probably are in trouble of varying degrees.

I know that F1 teams are run by engineers, and not economists, but surely they knew running at empty tracks with minimal venue fees was going to affect the bottomline?

[Alianora La Canta]

The teams did not know that would happen back in January-March, when most of the spending happened