Red Bull team Principal responded to allegations regarding the Cost cap breach by the team and slammed critics for spreading misinformation.
Red Bull team Principal Christian Horner fired an attack on the critics and rival team bosses. In the press conference ahead of the 2022 Austin GP, Horner took a stand against the “fictitious allegations” regarding Red Bull’s $1.8 Million budget breach.
Ahead of the race in Austin, Zak Brown demanded clarity from FIA regarding Red Bull’s ongoing budget cap breach. Although the McLaren CEO did not name Red Bull, it was enough to stir the entire F1 paddock in search of answers regarding possible penalties.
The FIA has proposed a 25% deduction in wind tunnel testing for Red Bull ahead of the 2023 season. But Red Bull has denied the settlement.
The team firmly believe they have abided by the rules. Horner refuted Zak Brown’s letter saying, “It’s absolutely shocking that another competitor is accusing you of cheating. Without the facts, or any knowledge of the details can be making that kind of accusation.”
Christian Horner says children of Red Bull employees are being bullied
Christian Horner says Red Bull has been on public trial ever since the news broke out. The “rhetoric of cheats” has hurt their brand image and the entire workforce.
Horner claimed, “You know, in an age where mental health is prevalent, we’re seeing significant issues in our workforce. We’re getting kids that are being bullied in playgrounds that are employees’ children”
This comes right after Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez were booed on stage in an event ahead the FP3 on Saturday. The crowds chanted “cheaters” as both drivers stood on stage.
Horner added, “You cannot go around just making that kind of allegation without any fact or substance. So we absolutely are appalled at the behaviour of some of our competitors.”
Zak Brown however said that it was just his opinion and he needed clarification on the given matter. The McLaren boss feels there should be ramifications if a team breaches the cost cap and awaits a final decision by the FIA soon.
Christian Horner says allegations are “fictitious”
Red Bull boss Christian Horner defended his team’s stance on the Budget cap saga. The Briton narrated that the team had don’t their due diligence ahead of submitting the reports to the FIA.
Horner added, “We had zero benefits from a development perspective or an operational perspective either for 2021 or 2022 from the way that we operated within the cap. Our submission was significantly below the cap.”
Horner claims Red Bull took assistance from an external third party to verify their accounts. And were cleared and well below the budget. He adds, “So we absolutely and categorically don’t feel we had any advantage in 2021 or 2022 or ’23 or ’24.”
Horner met FIA President Mohammed bin Sulayem to discuss the matter. However, Red Bull might have rejected FIA’s reduced wind tunnel time penalty. The matter could drag out until the remainder of the season. But Horner too wishes for closure to this matter and awaits the FIA’s decision too.
Also Read: FIA propose Wind Tunnel time punishment to Red Bull for $1.8 Million Budget cap breach
