Although the $100m prize money bonus has widened the gulf between the top and bottom of the grid, it was introduced last year when no teams went under. The difference this year is that their costs have been driven up by the replacement of F1’s 2.4-litre V8 engines with 1.6-litre V6 turbos. At an estimated annual price of $28m, they cost around double their predecessors and were the key factor in Caterham’s collapse. Its biggest creditor is Renault, which manufacturers its engines and is alone owned £7.4m.