Alpine boss rejects Red Bull’s call to relax F1 budget cap
According to Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer, top Formula One teams should spend less on development if inflationary pressures put them at risk of going over budget limits, according to Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer.
Red Bull’s Christian Horner warned at the Spanish Grand Prix that the majority of the 10 teams will struggle to comply with financial restrictions imposed this season and need further increases.
Szafnauer said Renault-owned Alpine’s predicted spending remains within the annual limits and there is no reason to exceed the current $140 million.
“We set the budget early on, we predicted a bit of inflation. Inflation wasn’t just going up for us,” said the Americans, who are in sixth place after six races.
“If we can do it, surely others can too. I don’t just want to increase the limit.”
Szafnauer said teams have invested a significant amount in development budgets, especially in a year like 2022 with the new regulations.
“When shipping costs increase by 2.5 million or 3.5 million but your development budget is 20, can you not go through your development budget of 17 and still be under the limit? You can “, he said.
“What then does is it limits your growth. So it’s a lot easier, if you have the money, to go to the FIA and lobby to raise the cap and keep the development budget unchanged. your.”
Red Bull leads both championships after winning Sunday’s race against world champion Max Verstappen, team-leader Sergio Perez, but the battle with rivals Ferrari and Mercedes is intense. .
“We need the FIA to address inflation because I think basically maybe about seven teams will have to miss the last four races this year,” Horner said.
“It’s not just the big teams now, the midfield teams are really struggling with the rate of inflation that we’re seeing.”
Horner said freight costs have quadrupled and the FIA has a “duty of care”.
Szafnauer laughs at the idea of teams missing races to avoid breaking financial rules.
“It will take us to the championship. I welcome that,” he said. “Should we plan for that or is he just being tough?”