Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone might have played a part in the recent Budget cap breach saga featuring Red Bull and the FIA. Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera claims, Ecclestone might have been consulted during negotiations between FIA and Red Bull.
The F1 Supremo held a firm command of the sport for 4 decades until stepping down in 2017. But it has recently emerged that the 92-year-old is still a prominent figure in the sport.
Ecclestone shares a very good relationship with Red Bull team Principal Christian Horner. Horner was Bernie’s best man in his marriage to Fabiana Flosi.
BREAKING: Red Bull gets $7m fine and 10% reduction in car development time for budget cap breach.
Breach was £1,864,000 ($2.2m) or 1.6%, but FIA acknowledged if a tax credit had been correctly applied would have been £432,652 ($0.5m), or 0.37%#F1
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) October 28, 2022
Another person the Brit shares a bond with is FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. It is said that Ecclestone served as an intermediary between the two parties and was heavily involved behind the scenes in negotiating a penalty.
Bernie Ecclestone has good relations with Horner, Ben Sulayem
Bernie Ecclestone’s wife Fabiana Flosi is currently the Vice President of the FIA. This makes her the second highest authority placing in the organisation after Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The FIA and Red Bull were entangled in a lengthy deadlock following reports that Red Bull overspent the stipulated $145 Million cost cap. Red Bull was $2 Million over the budget and blamed it on catering costs.
So it’s an overspend for Red Bull of 0.37%, but an overspend is still an overspend however large or small, surely a benefit must be derived from that overspend. Scrap the minor or major breach nonsense in the future & 10% wind tunnel reduction? Is that really a strong deterrent?
— David Croft (@CroftyF1) October 28, 2022
The team maintained their stance that the amount wasn’t spent on improving the performance of the car. And this is where Bernie might have stepped in. The former F1 boss is good friends with Horner
Ecclestone would have been involved in negotiating a penalty for Red Bull Racing. Had Red Bull not agreed to the decision of the ABA, the saga could have been extended until the start of the next season.
Christian Horner calls Budget breach penalty ‘Draconian’
Red Bull was fined $7 million by the FIA for a “Minor and procedural breach.” The team also faces a 10% reduction in their Wind Tunnel Testing and Computational Fluid Dynamics testing ahead of the 2023 season.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner hit back at the verdict saying, “Not one penny was spent on the performance of the vehicle. Or on the performance of the car. ”
Christian Horner responds to the punishments imposed on Red Bull for breaking the cost cap 🗣 pic.twitter.com/SoPpr6S2jk
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) October 28, 2022
He added, “It gives an advantage to our competitors. Which is why they were pushing so hard for a draconian penalty. And we’re going to have to work incredibly hard.”
Horner said Red Bull wanted to put the matter to a close and thus, ” begrudgingly” accepted the decision. But many other competitors like McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes have hit back at the leniency of the decision.
