SINGAPORE – The FIA has confirmed that any breach of Formula One’s financial regulations will be “handled” amid allegations Red Bull and Aston Martin may have exceeded their budget cap in the year. 2021.
F1 introduces budget cap last year in the hope of leveling the playing field between the teams and making the sport more sustainable. It was set at $145 million in 2021 and dropped to $140 million this year, although some adjustments have been made to account for additional races and inflation.
F1’s governing body is expected to release an analysis of the team’s 2021 financial data next week, which will reveal if there were any breach of the cost cap last year. A report in the journal Auto Motor und Sport on Friday said Red Bull and Aston Martin may have crossed the line, which could lead to severe penalties such as exclusion from the championship if overspending significantly above 5%.
Mercedes and Ferrari bosses later called the alleged violations an “open secret”.
When contacted by ESPN, Red Bull said media reports are “purely speculative at this stage”, while Aston Martin confirmed it has submitted a 2021 report, is in discussions with the FIA and is “in progress”. waiting for certification”.
The accounts in question are for the 2021 season, which, if found to be infringed by Red Bull, would reopen debate over Max Verstappen’s title victory, which has been besieged in controversy due to the way management FIA race director Michael Masi handles -repeated safety car restart at the final race.
However, it will also affect this year’s title battle as a significant amount of development for this year’s car comes from last year’s budget. Verstappen is on track to defend the title and could claim it as early as this weekend, although Japan is the most likely venue for his victory.
Since the cost cap was only introduced in 2021, there is no precedent for potential violations of financial regulations.
However, the FIA’s rule book offers a long list of potential penalties – from fines to championship exclusions – which fall into three categories: “financial penalties”, “minor sports penalties” and “physical sports punishment”.
A minor sports penalty or financial penalty will be issued for spending in excess of less than five percent, and a physical sports penalty may be imposed for anything over five percent.
Light penalties include public reprimand, demerit points (for both builders and drivers), suspension of championship rounds, restriction of the ability to conduct aerodynamic tests, and reduced limits expenses for the following year. Important sports penalties include all of the above as well as the exclusion and suspension of championships.
In a statement on Friday, a spokesman for the regulator said: “The FIA is currently finalizing a review of the 2021 financial data submitted by all Formula 1 teams. Allegations of financial regulation violations, if any, will be dealt with according to the official regulatory process.”
Speculation surrounding overspending prompted some comments from rivals about how fast Red Bull has grown this year.
In August, Ferrari team director Mattia Binotto said: “Financial regulations can make the difference between teams in the way they interpret and somehow implement it. And we know that they do. I need a very strong FIA to make sure they’re getting the right focus. the regulations won’t be fair and equal.”
Williams was fined $25,000 earlier this year for missing the deadline for filing team accounts for 2021, which, although it was a relatively small decision, was quickly resolved with Williams paying the fine. .
