Max Verstappen became Formula 1 World Champion last year by the narrowest of margins. Now rumors are circulating that his Red Bull team could have gained an advantage. The racing team is said to have not kept to the budget limit. Motorsport boss Marko is outraged.
Formula 1 has a new excitement. As "Auto, Motor und Sport" and the "Gazzetta dello Sport" report, two teams are said to have exceeded the budget limit of 148.6 million dollars last year - including Red Bull, the world champion racing team. This is the result of a cost cap review by the world motorsport association FIA. The second racing team is said to be Aston Martin, for which Sebastian Vettel is still driving this season.
In the coming week, the FIA is to make the results of the inspection public. "The FIA is currently finalizing the assessment of the 2021 financial data submitted by all Formula 1 teams," said an FIA spokesman at the Singapore Grand Prix. Alleged violations of the financial regulations would be "addressed, where appropriate, in accordance with the formal process set out in the regulations," it said.
The crucial question: did Max Verstappen's team gain an advantage in the 2021 World Championship fight against Lewis Hamilton? The team senses a campaign by the competition. "It's amazing when such things become public in an ongoing process that has not yet been clarified," said Red Bull's motorsport boss Helmut Marko on Sky: "It's damaging to our reputation."
From Red Bull's point of view, there is no breach of the rules. "Points are listed that don't even belong in the budget," said Marko. At the moment there is a discussion "about positions, who works where. We have a wide variety of companies. We have Red Bull Advanced Technology, we have Red Bull Technology, Red Bull Powertrains. And you have to separate everything very clearly."
The budget cap was introduced last season, and in the first year it was almost $150 million. However, there is no fixed catalog of penalties, so it is unclear to what extent the teams would be sanctioned. From fines to point deductions, anything seems possible. With the unclear consequences, the rule guardians wanted to prevent the racing teams from making a cost-benefit analysis of the amount up to which it might be worth exceeding. According to the regulations, exceeding five million dollars is considered a "minor violation".
Last year, Verstappen only became world champion in the last race in Abu Dhabi. His lead over Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes was eight points at the time. There is still a dispute about the race victory and the world title because of the use of the safety car.
