McLaren chief Andreas Seidl gave a statement, following the rumors of the 2021 budget cap breach scandal involving Red Bull Racing.
Red Bull is rumored to have overspent the 2021 budget cap violating the regulations set by FIA. FIA is investigating the issue which involves two teams. Red Bull and Aston Martin are the two teams coming up in rumors.
FIA has assured that it will deal with any breaches “according to the formal process set out in the regulations.”
The penalties can vary from a fine to a deduction from championship points. Max Verstappen can even lose his 2021 title according to the level of violation.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has defended the team and deemed the claims about Verstappen losing his title as “ridiculous“.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has also reacted to the burning issue, so has Ferrari and now McLaren has also joined the list.
McLaren boss Andreas Seidl gave an official statement on the issue
McLaren chief Andreas Seidl believes that Red Bull overspent on salaries and benefits packages breaching the budget cap.
“We have an obligation to our people, from the FIA’s side, and from our side. Because even for a team like us the introduction of the cost cap meant we had to put some really serious measures in place which were affecting our people”.
Seidl said ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.
“We had to make people redundant as well. We had to ask our people to accept pay cuts or pay freezes, which was very serious.
“At the same time there was, especially from two teams, an incredible aggressive hiring still ongoing. Throwing incredible salaries on the table and offering unbelievable company benefit packages. Where we are all wondering how this is possible in this new world of Formula 1. And our people are obviously challenging us if we do everything right on our side.
“That’s why we simply welcome clarity on this because in the end we will find out that if maybe we have missed something on our side or if there actually were breaches ongoing and we have a clear explanation why certain teams can do certain things which we were simply not in a position to offer to our people.”
FIA introduced a budget cap of $145 million last year. The overspend divides into two categories – minor and material overspend.
“Proper penalties should be awarded even if it affects championship outcomes from the past.” – Andreas
Seidl believes in the investigation of FIA and has called the organization to investigate the claims properly:
“Having experienced, ourselves, now in the last 12 to 18 months the audit from FIA’s side, which was done in a very thorough and diligent way, I’m absolutely convinced that the establishing of the numbers can be done in an absolutely correct way, ending up in comparable numbers between the different organisations,”
he added.
“I don’t have any doubt there.
“Now it’s simply important that there is full transparency of what is actually happening. Because it is clear that if someone is spending more money going beyond the cap, it’s a performance advantage. In the end, the financial regulations now are as important as the sporting one or the technical ones – there’s no difference.
“It’s very important that, from the FIA’s side, they make sure that they police them properly, enforce them and put proper penalties in place in case there is any infringement, even if it’s done affecting championship outcomes from the past.”
For more updates, follow us on Twitter.
