The FIA is reportedly set to announce that Red Bull and Aston Martin have both failed to remain with the parameters of the Formula 1 budget cap introduced at the beginning of the 2022 season.
While Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has dismissed media reports about the pending announcement as “pure speculation”, Aston Martin told BBC Sport that they are “in discussion with the FIA and awaiting certification”.
The budget cap, set at $145 million with various exemptions around sprint races and calendar arrangements, was brought in at the beginning of 2022 in a bid to narrow the spending gap between large, manufacturer-backed teams and smaller outfits.
Horner not aware of any issues
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after second practice at the Singapore GP, Horner denied that there was an issue with Red Bull’s budget submissions, and said there were bound to be questions given this is the first year of the sport running such a cap.
“I’m not aware (of any breaches). The accounts were all submitted way back in March, so it’s been a long process with the FIA, and we are in that process as we speak, and they are rightly following that process and I think mid next week is when they declare their certificates,” Horner said.
“I think our submission was below the cap and it’s down to the FIA to follow that process which they are doing.”
What penalty could Red Bull receive?
Penalties for breaching that threshold range from minor infractions, classed as overspends below 5%, which can carry limits on aero testing time, championship points penalties or suspension from races.
Anything over that can lead to more serious repercussions including deduction of drivers’ and constructors’ points, race suspensions, a lower budget cap, and even championship exclusions.
