Liberty Media is planning to pay Force India $60 million in the form of its so-called "Column 1" payments — and rival Haas F1 team officals are not happy about it.
The Haas F1 team only wants "equal treatment" as the outcome of its protest against the legality of Force India's cars. That’s according to Haas boss Gunther Steiner, after the American team
lodged a formal protest to the stewards in Abu Dhabi.
Haas is claiming that, as a brand-new entrant, Racing Point Force India is illegally using cars that were not technically designed by the new team.
The dispute comes after Liberty Media agreed to pay Force India $60 million in the form of its so-called 'Column 1' payments under the Concorde Agreement.
A new team like Haas is not normally entitled to Column 1 money for two years.
"We are just looking for equal treatment for all the teams," Steiner told Ekstra Bladet newspaper. "We are not trying to get more, but just what teams in the future know what they are entitled to.
"We entered Formula 1 under certain conditions, and we do not feel that this has happened on this occasion with Force India. So we want equality, or least an explanation as to why that has not happened."
The stewards were expected to rule on the protest this weekend at Abu Dhabi.
"Initially we tried to find a friendly solution, but we have not received any answer,” Steiner said. "At some point you have to act."
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