Reports indicate that Red Bull is one of the teams that is suspected to have breached the budget cap in 2021 – Christian Horner reacts to the rumors.
FIA introduced a budget cap for the 2021 season to limit overspending by the big teams. Now, reports indicate that two teams have gone over the budget of $145 million and Red Bull might be one of those.
FIA would give an official announcement on 5th October.
If found guilty of overspending, penalties can vary from a fine to a probable reduction in Championship points.
Red Bull team principal talked to Sky Sports F1 regarding the matter after the first practice session of Singapore GP:
“We are certainly not aware of any (breaches),”
Horner said.
“The accounts were all submitted way back in March, so it’s been a long process with the FIA going through, and we are in that process as we speak.
“They are rightly following that process and I think mid-next week is when they declare their certificates.
“Certainly our submission was below the cap and it’s down to the FIA to follow their process, which they are currently doing.”
Horner also went on to describe the regulations as “immature” claiming that meaning and application are “subjective“.
Penalties will vary depending on the budget breach
The regulations indicate several penalties. The level of breach would determine the penalties for the team. The offenses include “minor” and “major” offenses.
FIA also released an official statement dealing with the matter:
“The FIA is currently finalising the assessment of the 2021 financial data submitted by all Formula 1 teams. Alleged breaches of the Financial Regulations, if any, will be dealt with according to the formal process set out in the regulations.”
Max Verstappen snatched the title from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in the final race of the 2021 season. He is all set to bag his second season in a row in 2022.
On the other hand, Red Bull is all set to end Mercedes’s run of eight consecutive Constructors titles.
Christian Horner seems confident that Red bull didn’t do any budget cap breach in 2021. Whether that is the case or not will be clarified after the investigation.
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