The FIA is expected to release the results of its first cost cap review for the 2021 season next week. It is said that two teams are over the limit, one of them significantly over the limit, with rumors circulating in the paddock that this is Red Bull Racing.
It can be a nasty conflict. And this will be a very difficult test for the FIA. Budget audit completed for the 2021 season.
The Paddock reportedly had two teams over the $148.6 million limit in the first year of the cost cap, one of them significantly over. There are rumors in the paddock that it will be Red Bull and Aston Martin.
The FIA is required to publish any infringements. Going over the budget cap is against the same rules as cars under weight and fuel flow. Perhaps the results should have been communicated long ago, but one of two causes could cause an earthquake in the paddock.
A problem arises here. There is no clear catalog of punishments. The FIA did not want a team that exceeded the limit to deliberately exceed the limit, offsetting the damage against the profit as long as the penalty was tolerable. According to the rules, violations of up to $5 million are considered “minor rule violations.” Offenders may be fined.
Rumors of eight teams to be clean think it is doubtful. Mercedes and Ferrari are said to be worth up to half a second on the race track for an additional $5 million in development.
Teams over $5 million should expect stiffer penalties. Penalties such as possible deductions and subsequent relegation at the World Championships, or deducting the excess amount from the cost cap of the affected team for the following year.
Mercedes and Ferrari recommend stiff penalties to avoid setting a precedent. According to their calculations, Red Bull is over the limit not only for 2021, but this season as well. As such, the lightweight chassis is likely to be phased out by 2022. Materials and manufacturing costs are included in the budget for first use only. Only design costs are included directly in the budget.
If Red Bull seems to have spent a lot of money in 2021, Mercedes would be the first to stand up. The constructors’ promoters believe the title was taken from the premature introduction of the safety car at the Abu Dhabi finale.
Ferrari has been angered by the theory that Red Bull may have bent the rules too much for other reasons. Under this hypothesis, additional money flowed not only into the development of the 2021 model year, but also into the development of the 2022 model year. This would explain why Red Bull have had such a strong start to the season even though they are said to be the last team to shift their development focus.
Ferrari also claims to have calculated that a competitive Red Bull, an upgrade to the current Red Bull RB18, cannot be produced within the budget allowed.
Ferrari has decided not to use the new underbody in Singapore. The team principal, Mattia Binotto, regrets not having more money. Mercedes is holding back for the same reason. A small modification was given a final budget for its debut in Austin.
F1 teams keep records within their teams, with each estimating how much the other is spending. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner had already blown the wind out of such doubts at the start of the summer.
“How do other teams know what prices we produce and what materials we use?”
Initially, the FIA’s investigation did not appear to have found anything suspicious. However, the teams learn from the retirees about the other team’s costing methods and parts production conditions, and criticize each other.
FIA officials say the results will be reported next week. Apparently both teams have been charged with “minor misconduct”. Athletes fear the incident was calculated to avoid scandal.
FIA inspectors are said to have visited Red Bull in July. Since then, there have been discussions about which costs were included and which were not.
The FIA faces a difficult task. Teams working in the legal field are expected to be fully transparent and demand strict penalties for those who break the rules. In the future, there will be demand for faster processing. Any team found guilty in October of the following year will receive double the proceeds.
Unless the FIA collapses, plaintiffs could prove that the whole idea of a budget cap is a deathbed. The FIA wants to avoid the worst-case scenario of interfering with its 2021 championship status.
In that case, experts believe the teams involved could go to civil court. Financial regulations still have too many loopholes, legal experts say. For example, we can refer to the fact that there are only guidelines and no rules for some points. Defendants can also challenge the court’s arbitrary rulings if the penalties for specific crimes are not specified.
Category: F1 / red bull / FIA
