Red Bull could not overcome the pain of a $7 million fine for breaching the 2021 budget yet. And looks like another penalty got added to the list. Christian Horner is passing real hard times in terms of securing Red Bull’s reputation despite having already won both trophies of the 2022 F1. It took eight years and $5 million for Red Bull to win the constructor’s championship again. The racing team is punched with a bill of $5 million by FIA in order to pay the entry fee for participating in the 2023 F1 championship battle.
Actually, it is not something that only Red Bull has to pay, like a penalty or something intentional. It is a rule of Formula One, which implies that all the teams participating in the campaign have to pay an entry fee to FIA, which conducts the motorsports world championship. As per the World Championship, one has to submit a fixed amount of $5,770. For Red Bull, it is a special case this year because the team has won both championships and secured 759 points. So, the calculated amount that they will have to pay this year is $4,956,708.
However, Red Bull chief Christian Horner finds the above rule quite funny. At the annual FIA Prize Giving Ceremony in Bologna that took place on December 9, Horner spoke to RacingNews365. He stated that he did not realize how much Red Bull combined would have to pay to FIA for the points. Horner jokingly said, “I got the bill just the other day, it was incredible!”
Red Bull & Mercedes Appreciated Each Other
This time Red Bull has done quite a great job that even Lewis Hamilton could not resist sending compliments. Hamilton believes that the team clinched the title under regulations changes period, making their win even more special. Speaking of Red Bull’s spectacular win, Hamilton praised Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez for how they won, while Mercedes broke all of its records.
“These two guys [Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez] have been really amazing this year,” said Hamilton. He emphasized special applause for Max, who remained outstanding from the beginning till the end of the 2022 season. The seven-time world champion admitted that Red Bull’s victory must have come after a lot of behind-the-scenes efforts to be perfect under the regulation changes in F1 in 40 years. In addition, Hamilton claimed that Red Bull accepted the regulation change challenge magnificently.
Meanwhile, Christian Horner emerged to praise the rival team, Ferrari. He appreciated how their boss Mattia Binotto made the team comparatively stronger each year. Red Bull boss said, “In all fairness to Mattia, it must be said that he did a very good job in creating a very competitive car and engine for the Scuderia team. Certainly, this year, when even Mercedes failed, Ferrari passed in adjusting the new FIA regulations exam this year. Ferrari claimed 4 Grand Prix wins, with Charles Leclerc winning the starting three races and Carlos Sainz winning the Silverstone.