Outcome of Red Bull cost cap fiasco is imminent
Motorsport.com reports that Red Bull will be fined and their aerodynamic testing time reduced because of their 2021 minor cost cap breach.
Motorsport.com reports the outcome of Red Bull’s alleged minor cost cap breach is about to be made public - but it remains unclear whether the team gained an on-track advantage.
Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, has accused Red Bull of a minor breach of last year’s $145 million cost cap. Several media reports say the team was $1.8 million over the cap.
RacingNews365.com says it was due to issues with catering, sick pay, spare parts, and UK tax.
The newest development is that the FIA and Red Bull have reached a settlement, according to Motorsport.com.
The trusted and credible report claims Red Bull will be fined and have their aerodynamic testing time reduced as punishment. The report said the settlement - officially called an accepted breach agreement - would be revealed on Friday.
The teams are currently in Mexico City for this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix.
Despite the Motorsport.com report, it’s still not clearly known whether Red Bull benefitted from the alleged overspending.
Many people will be asking whether the breach helped propel them to the controversial 2021 Drivers’ Championship title.
Red Bull denies they gained any advantage from the alleged overspending. Team principal Christian Horner said during the US Grand Prix weekend that the matter was about the interpretation of the financial rules.
Other teams disagree. Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto suggested in Singapore that a half-a-second advantage could’ve been gained while McLaren boss Zak Brown said in a letter to the FIA that Red Bull’s breach “constituted cheating”.
The FIA must address this point when they announce details of the settlement.
It should be stated clearly whether Red Bull gained an on-track advantage.
The other important detail is just greater transparency in general.
The alleged overspending has understandably been the subject of intense speculation, but many details so far have either come from anonymous media reports or from comments made by rival team bosses.
People should be able to understand how and why this mistake happened.
Horner, the Red Bull team principal, promised as much during the US Grand Prix weekend, saying he would talk media through the team’s position once it was resolved with the FIA.
“The whole thing should be transparent,” Horner said. “There's going to be no private, you know, secret deal.”