Barnard: I'd like to know how F1 cost-cap will operate

Barnard who designed a host of title-winning cars for the Woking outfit in the eighties - including the above MP4/2 - has now emerged to be outspoken with regards to the plight of his former team which is at the lowest ebb of performance in their illustrious F1 history.

Clearly, his concerns are not only to do with McLaren, the future of F1 in terms of financial governance is a concern of his too.

While Formula 1 stakeholders map a future for the sport Barnard questions the reality of a cost-cap (aka budget-cap) in Formula 1, buzzwords which are high on the negotiations' agenda for 2021 and beyond.

In a recent interview with ESPN, Barnard said, "These cost caps... I'd like to know how they're going to operate those. I remember talking about cutting the costs in 1990, 1991, people were talking about what can we do to cut the costs then."

"And everything that was suggested, you just felt well, if you're a big team or even a manufacturer, there's all sorts of ways around this."

"Development can be done back in the factory on another project, then it's suddenly shipped over to Formula 1, all these kinds of things. It's very difficult to control. I will wait with interest to see how they're going to do that," warned Barnard

A short Red Bull sourced bio on the man reveals: "Barnard went from making light bulbs to designing a title-winning McLaren in the 1970s and became a true innovator in his F1 career."

"Teaming up with Ron Dennis at McLaren, he introduced the carbon fibre monocoque and the ‘coke bottle’ rear end in some of the most attractive, innovative and dominant cars of the mid-1980s."

"He then sandwiched two spells at Ferrari around one at Benetton, where he and Rory Byrne built the basis for Michael Schumacher’s success. He now runs his own automotive design company."