The official governing body of Formula One, FIA, introduced a cost cap for the first time in F1 history in 2021 with a limit of $145m per team per season, excluding certain costs such as driver salaries and marketing expenses. The aim of the cost cap is to reduce the gap between the big-spending teams and those with fewer resources, making the sport more fair, competitive, and sustainable.
Breaching the cost cap carries a significant penalty, with teams facing fines, point deductions, and even exclusion from the championship. The introduction of the cost cap has generally been seen as a positive step for the sport. It has helped to level the playing field between the big-spending teams like Mercedes and Red Bull and those with fewer resources. However, Red Bull, for that matter, violated the budget cap in the very first year of its introduction and received a monetary penalty.
Christian Horner Claims As Many As Six Teams Violated The Cost Cap In 2022
Red Bull Racing has been a dominant team in the grid since 2021, wherein they won their first driver’s championship in a long while. However, towards the end of the season, it was revealed that the drink-based team had violated the cost cap rule and received a fine accordingly. They claimed that they overspent on the catering of the crew that travels along with the team for GPs. Now, months later, Redbull’s team principal, Christian Horner, has made an explosive claim.
Christian Horner said in an interview that as many as six teams violated the cost cap last season. He termed the rising inflation as the main root cause of the problem. Moreover, the team principal even predicted that more teams would be found in violation this year as well. Horner did not reveal the names of the other teams that he believed breached the cost cap. However, his comments have sparked a debate among F1 fans and analysts, with some suggesting that his claims are baseless and without evidence. Others have pointed out that the FIA should take Horner’s comments seriously and investigate if necessary.
Horner Slams Ferrari Team Principal Over Budget Cap Allegations
In 2021, Red Bull Racing breached the cost cap and received a fine of £6m and a 10% reduction in the wind tunnel for a period of 12 months. However, Ferrari’s team principal, Frederic Vasseur, claimed that the FIA bailed Rebull out, and they got away with minimal penalty. Fred believes that, seeing the development that Redbull has made over the year, the fine seems unlikely to have affected its growth.
Responding to these claims, Christian Horner said that he respects Fred’s opinion, but the team has done an excellent job during the winter break, and the same remains reflected on the track. They have done nothing wrong, and their progress is purely on the basis of merit. Moreover, Horner said that Fred’s claims seem a little premature, considering that it’s just the start of the season. There are still so many races to go, and nobody can predict if the RB19 will maintain the pace.