With no excitement on the track, given Max Verstappen’s dominance this year, Intrigues in Formula 1 moved to the offices of the USA. FIA. In 2021, when the budget ceiling comes into effect, some teams are not finished, and among the teams on the agenda are Red Bull and Aston Martin, where Fernando Alonso will play in 2023. If they are confirmed to have exceeded the cost limit -positioned at 147 million euros last year-, they face a million dollar fine or even a funding cut for the next season.
As we wait for the FIA to deliver the outcome of the investigation next Monday, there is an atmosphere of ‘cold war’ in the Suzuka paddock, with team representatives and drivers speaking their own. On Thursday, Lewis Hamilton rekindled his discussion with Vestappen over the outcome of the 2021 World Cup:We brought our latest updates at Silverstone last year, Red Bull brought them every weekend and they’ve had new parts up to four races since Silverstone. If Mercedes could spend 300,000 euros on a new floor or an adapted spoiler, it could change everything. I hope that’s not the case,” the Englishman snapped.
Max had to answer at a press conference: “We have reason to believe we did everything right.That’s what they told me and we’ll see what happens on Monday. This is a matter between the FIA and the team. “I’m here to drive fast and get the best possible result.”
The FIA was due to announce its decision on possible budget cap violations on 5 October, but chose to delay its decision until Monday 10 October. “We have observed significant speculation and unfounded assumptions on this topic and We reiterate that the evaluation is ongoing and that the process will be followed regardless of external discussions.”.
McLaren boss Zak Brown has become a ‘spokesperson’ for teams that find themselves aggrieved if an opponent is confirmed to have cheated on their spending: “Budget cap is very important and we have to make sure it is implemented. Y if someone does not comply, they should be punished not only financially, but also sportingly and technically.. If technical or sporting rules are violated, penalties apply and the budgetary ones should be the same because if someone has spent more than their account this gives them an unfair advantage on the track and accordingly, they need to be dealt with tightly. and quickly. ‘ he claims.
Mercedes and Ferrari point out that even a “minor breach”, less than 5% of the ceiling, could be worth three to five tenths of a second per lap.. “We’re even talking about half a second, and that advantage carries over to subsequent seasons, because even though it started in 2021, it will continue to provide a competitive advantage in 2022 and 2023, so that’s clearly an important thing,” the Scuderia boss said. , Mattia Binotto requesting exemplary sanctions: “Reliability in general is at stake. Depending on what it is, it would be a huge problem to handle.”
They point out that delaying the title of Red Bull’s Verstappen is a destabilizing maneuver, and its director, Christian Horner, reminds us that big manufacturers like Mercedes or Ferrari have a thousand ways to camouflage spending. In any case, it’s raining on the wet because at this point its direct competitors in the 2022 championship, especially Ferrari, are still wondering how those from Milton Keynes managed to do it. lightening the chassis and introducing key changes that allowed Verstappen to significantly increase its revenue in the championship after the summer Without exceeding the budget limit for this year.