You fight on the track and beyond. While the drivers and teams of formula 1 they fight on the Marina Bay track for the Singapore Grand Prix, there is great enthusiasm even in the so-called button rooms. The news of the supposed overcoming of the budget cup by the red bull in the 2021 season, it caused a real earthquake. If everything is certified, very heavy measures against the Austrian team and, inevitably, also against Max Verstappen, cannot be ruled out. In this scenario, the first to want to see clearly are Red Bull’s main opponents, that is, Ferrari and Mercedesthey are concerned with the past, but also with the present and the future.
There are two teams at the center of rumors about possible violations of financial regulations in 2021, Aston Martin and Red Bull. Teams could have spent a maximum of $148.6 million last season, but apparently they would not have respected that limit. The FIA at the moment has been lingering, talking about “speculation” and postponing the decision and any confirmations to the next few days after extensive checks and evaluations. All without being influenced by outside discussions.
In fact, the leak in the first place surprised Red Bull, who asked for clarification on how the whole thing could have become public domain. A situation that generated discussions and controversies even in the paddock, with the other teams outraged at the possibility that the world champion team had spent more than it was allowed to improve its performance. Apparently the rumors that circulate are related to the overcoming numbers that would be important. Ten million dollars more for Red Bull, which could have employed up to 100 engineers at $100,000 each and increased the output of the development department. Suffice it to say that some teams don’t have that budget, not even to make mid-season improvements.
At the moment, Red Bull said it was calm, as confirmed by the words of sporting director Helmut Marko and team manager Horner: “We sent the documents in March as requested by the FIA. With these complicated rules, it is clear that the exam takes time. The FIA and the teams are crossing this path for the first time. We look forward to what we are absolutely sure of being within limits.” From the defense to the attack to those who disclosed everything, with the threat of legal action: “How can our opponents allow themselves public comment? Only the FIA and we know the documents. Reputation-damaging things are said.”
Red Bull may not have benefited from these “adjusted values” last season either, but also in this and the next since in 2021 we work in parallel not only for 2022, but also for the following season. Precisely for this reason, the main opponent of Mercedes of the Austrian team last year and Ferrari, this year’s competitor, “allied” with the desire to pressure the FIA to continue with this story. Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto and Mercedes Race Director Toto Wolff they stayed together for an hour Friday before the first free practice session in Singapore, with too much of a final handshake in front of the cameras.
A meeting, therefore, in the next few days, between the Singapore GP and the Japanese GP, for official FIA press releases clarifying what happened and any sanctions, provided that the teams involved give their consent. This will only be possible if the teams accept the punishment without going to court. What could they risk? Obviously, it’s not the penalties for the team that are of concern, as in 2021 second place in the constructors’ championship looks “solid”, but those of the driver after Verstappen won the title by a few points over Hamilton.
Having said that, it is necessary to highlight how in the financial regulations of Formula 1 two types of infractions are distinguished, which obviously correspond to different penalties. In fact, we talk about procedural and material infringements. And for the latter (in which case Red Bull and Aston Martin would eventually fall) another difference is made between material infractions of “small overspending” (with a surplus budget of less than 5% of the total available to individual teams) and material infractions “excessive material expenditure” (when expenses incurred beyond the limit of the budget ceiling were greater than 5% of the ceiling).
It will be necessary to understand if the one of Red Bull and Aston Martin is a procedural or material infraction. In the first case, everything would end with a fine, like those imposed in the past for late deliveries of financial documentation. In the second case, the situation is more complex and depends on the size of the budget overrun: if this were less than 5%, there could be reprimands, fines and point deductions for manufacturers and drivers, with many downgrades and budget cup reductions; if, on the other hand, it exceeds 5%, one can add to all this an exclusion from the championship, a prospect that is difficult to achieve.
Just as it is difficult to think that the measures could be retroactive and therefore affect the 2021 World Cup won by Verstappen. Penalties can come in the current season. What is certain is that Mercedes and Ferrari, like other teams, are asking for exemplary and sensational punishments, because with just a million more you can do a lot within a team.
Source: Fan Page IT
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
