Mallya claims big teams have a "superiority complex"
Sunday 23 November 2014 11:08, UK
Force India co-owner Vijay Mallya has launched a scathing attack on Red Bull after both of their cars were thrown out of Abu Dhabi qualifying for technical irregularities.
Amid the backdrop of ongoing tension between the grid’s big and small teams over the distribution of F1’s revenues, Mallya went on the offensive via his personal Twitter account on Saturday night in the hours after rivals Red Bull‘s cars were disqualified from qualifying, although he didn't name his rival team directly.
The former World Champions were stripped of their fifth and sixth positions and sent to the back of the grid for Sunday’s season-ending race after stewards ruled that the cars’ “front wing flaps were designed to flex under aerodynamic load".
Mallya, whose team along with Lotus and Sauber have been calling for F1’s financial distribution model to be ripped up in recent weeks, while not naming Red Bull directly, seized on the incident in three hard-hitting tweets railing against what he perceives to be the “arrogance” of the big teams.
“A big F1 team that says we small outfits should not come with bananas to a gun fight, grabs maximum money and cheats on the regulations,” the Indian businessman tweeted.
“Arrogance and a superiority complex on the part of those who are paid to be in F1 should not dilute or colour those who pay to be in F1.
“Have holders of purse strings and decision makers in F1 become slaves to the whims of the big boys and the contracts? What about F1 sport?”
Further meetings between the aggrieved smaller teams and Bernie Ecclestone have been scheduled for this weekend in Abu Dhabi after a deadlock in talks was reached at the last grand prix in Brazil.
