cutting42
Arrived at B4 Hacker Ergo
Is it now becoming a championship between the top three or four, then their cars from the previous year, then anyone else left with a permit?
The first part is as you say but twas ever thus.
The use of "last years car" again has often raised its head but until recently each manufacturer had to demonstrate the car was all their own work. However more recently there are a number of "shared" technology areas that can be shared (engines always have been shared). The whole Haas business case was built around this, buying a chassis and key items from 3rd parties and other F1 entrants and then building the rest themselves. You also have the "partner teams" such as Alfa (Ferrari) and Alpha (Red Bull) who clearly share much of their technology and this year we have Racing point copying last years Merc in faithful detail but it is a copy rather than a co-development so not really last years car as such.
The costs are so extraordinary that you need to do something like this to even be in the same ballpark with Ferrari and Merc employing 1000 plus people and spending probably a $Billion on their race programs.