Red Bull & Max Verstappen will lose more than points for exceeding $2 million in budget; claims ex F1 supremo

Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone thinks Red Bull will be given a worse penalty than a fine for the minor breach in the cost cap.

Red Bull was accused of breaching the cost cap in 2021 and gaining a performative advantage against its rivals in the pursuit of winning the championship. The FIA was quick to take cognizance and initiated an investigation.

After the Japanese Grand Prix, it was revealed that Red Bull breached the cost cap. But it has been termed under a minor breach as Red Bull reportedly only overspent by $2 million.

Red Bull argues that most of their overspending has been done because of catering and confusion in payment of sick leave. They outright deny any competitive advantage being gained from overspending. However, a penalty is on the way.

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Bernie Ecclestone thinks Max Verstappen will see a worse penalty

Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone shed his thoughts on getting a penalty. While it has been a minor breach, many think Red Bull’s drivers’ championship title will remain unharmed.

However, Ecclestone thinks Red Bull and Verstappen can see a worse penalty than losing points. From the Blick newspaper, Roger Benoit asked Ecclestone: “Will Red Bull lose world championship points in 2021?” Ecclestone, 91, answered: “It will be worse than that.”

Many teams are demanding a strong response from the FIA for Red bull to gain an advantage, even if it’s a minor, as overspending is against the sanctity of the budget cap regulations.

Toto Wolff threatens FIA openly

Wolff, who has spearheaded the campaign against Red Bull amidst this controversy, has demanded decisive action from the FIA than a fine. He claims that if his rivals had to pay only in monetary terms for overspending, a dangerous precedent would be set.

There would be no force in the world to stop Mercedes from overspending within the minor breach to gain a competitive advantage. Therefore, this threat could compel FIA to penalize Red Bull more than they initially planned.

In the meantime, Verstappen has already won another championship with Red Bull. Now, the Milton-Keynes-based team aims to wrap up the constructors’ title and P2 in the championship for Perez.

Also read: Toto Wolff is not “100 per cent confident” if Mercedes can challenge for 2023 F1 title