Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko felt the Penalty was a bit too harsh on the team. After causing a “minor breach” the FIA imposed a strict penalty on the team ahead of the next season.
The team will have to cough up $7 Million and bear the costs through the Cost Cap Administration. But Red Bull will be hit hardest as the team face a 10% reduction in their Wind Tunnel testing time.
This means the team will be severely challenged in developing their 2023 car in order to defend their Constructors championship crown. And Marko feels it’s unfair to penalise the development of the car, considering the fact that the team had not spent any extra costs on improving the car.
He said, “It was the first year of the budget cap. The rules were vague. They reacted late with clarifications.” But Marko believes that there will be more teams breaching the Cost cap in the future.
Helmut Marko expects more breaches in 2023
Helmut Marko claimed British Accountancy firm Ernst and Young had audited their reports. The team had also interpreted the rules differently and hadn’t accounted for catering costs or sick leave pay for one of their employees.
The FIA stated that Red Bull had overspent their allocated budget by 1.6%. However, the team made an error in reporting their Tax Credit within its 2021 submission. This would have reduced their overspent amount from around $2 Million to less than half a Million
Marko said, “We thought we had a safety net of $3 million. In the end, there was only $400,000 left. With the money, Hamilton could construct a front wing. Or Haas can make a whole new car.
Aston Martin and Red Bull were the only two teams who were charged with violating the norms. Aston Martin was fined $450,000 by the FIA for a “procedural infringement.” But Marko predicts there are more than 2 teams who are currently over budget for 2022.
He adds, “I think the current status is that six teams are over it. With regard to energy prices in particular, inflation was not calculable to that extent.”
F1’s Budget cap to increase significantly
Helmut Marko feels the budget cap won’t bring the field closer as expected. And Red Bull has to work in tandem with the restrictions imposed on them. He said, “You just have to develop better.” But teams are expected to face a major cash crunch in the coming season.
F1 has just launched a mammoth 24-race calendar for 2023. 2023 features 6 Sprint races and see’s the teams and drivers travel across 21 countries in a span of 9 months.
But Economies across the world have been reeling with high inflation. Russia’s military occupation of Ukraine has caused a major shock in energy markets with the price of fuel and energy going through the roof.
Added to that the supply chain issue following the Covid-19 pandemic is also to blame for rising costs. Countries in Europe, where most of the teams and races are based, have been hit the hardest by inflation.
The additional races mean more travelling. Also, teams will have to work more on the car as the additional sprint races increase the chance of a car getting damaged. AMUS predicts that F1 might have to upgrade the budget cap to $154 Million instead of the $135 Million target.
