Wednesday before the 2022 Formula one Japanese GP was the day the FIA were set to issue budget compliance certificates to the teams who met the 2021 cost cap. Yet for the third time this event has been postponed. At the Singapore GP weekend a furore emerged over whether Red Bull Racing had significantly breached the 2021 cost cap and in effect ‘bought’ Max Verstappen last season’s drivers’ title.
Christian Horner strenuously denied his team were in breach of the spending limit. When asked if he was concerned about the FIA’s findings the Red Bull boss replied, “No. We’re absolutely confident in our submission.
“Our audit was signed off by our auditors. We believe we are comfortably within the cap.”
FIA delay F1 compliance announcements again
Helmut Marko revealed there were six points of clarification outstanding with the FIA and if rested as Red Bull believed they should be the result would see Red Bull Racing even further under the cost cap.
In a statement this afternoon, the FIA said the “analysis of financial submissions is a long and complex process that is ongoing”
“The FIA informs that the conclusion of the analysis of the 2021 financial submissions of the Formula One teams and the subsequent release of Certificates of Compliance to the Financial Regulations will not take place on Wednesday, 5 October.
FIA Compliance Department going ahead full steam. pic.twitter.com/aZsYKIqg0n
— Grand Prix Diary 🏁 (@GrandPrixDiary) October 5, 2022
“The analysis of financial submissions is a long and complex process that is ongoing and will be concluded to enable the release of the Certificates on Monday, 10 October.
“The Financial Regulations were agreed unanimously by all competitors, who have worked positively and collaboratively with the FIA Cost Cap Administration throughout this first year under the Financial Regulations.
Mole issuing leaks within the FIA denied
The FIA address the storm that blew up in the Singapore paddock where Toto Wolff claimed to have information that Red Bull Racing had massively breached the 2021 cost cap.
“As previously communicated, there has been significant and unsubstantiated speculation and conjecture in relation to this matter, and the FIA reiterates that until it is finalised, no further information will be provided.
The detailed nature of the Mercedes boss claims led Red Bull and others to speculate on the source who had revealed this to Wolff. Speculation then formed that Mercedes ex-legal advisor who recently joined the FIA had leaked the information to her old team.
Apparently not – for now
“The FIA also reiterates that any suggestion that FIA personnel have disclosed sensitive information is equally baseless.”
READ MORE: FIA ‘mole’ prime suspect revealed
Red Bull defamation proceedings against Wolff
Whilst Toto Wolff is demanding the FIA take a robust position against any team breaching the 2021 cost cap, Christian Horner responded that Red Bull will be taking advice on Mercedes “hugely defamatory, fictitious claims”.
Legal proceedings against Wolff have been threatened by the Red Bull management, though as yet nothing has been filed in the UK courts.
READ MORE: Ferrari suffer cyber attack after ditching Russian sponsor
Dissecting the @F1NightRace 🔍
James joins us to discuss Power Units, tyre choices & more in our #SingaporeGP Race Debrief with @akkodis_global 👇
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) October 5, 2022
Seriously what is the FIA at the season will be over and it will still be going on, or are you waitong for next year submissions and the delay again due to work load. If revenue took this long we could be in tax heaven. I can say if my auditors took this long they would be fired
It starts to feel like a postponement for time to concoct an acceptable position. Not ideal for a supposedly legal matter.
I think its more a case of a) an “appeal” process – for want of a better phrase, between the team(s) in question and the FIA, b) the FIA trying to work how word got out, and c) releasing the certificates and subsequent statements when everyone is on the long haul back home after Suzuka…. PR minimisation
Formula 1 continues to describe itself as the “pinnacle of motorsport”. How can this be if all the F1 teams claim that they could have been faster if it were not for the budget cap. If F1 has now become a cut-price sport, the fans are being cheated of the spectacle of the fastest race cars battling it out on track. Surely the F1 law makers should allow the teams to be the best they can be. The budget cap should be abandoned or at the very least increased. We all know that taking part in F1 is an expensive business, so those teams that can’t compete due to lack of funds should leave the sport and make room for those that can afford it. After all, there are lots of very rich people in the world.
The FIA must be brought to book for appointing a Mercedes spy on Toto Wolff’s forcing of the subject. This beeeatch should be dragged to court and locked up for sending secret info to Merc. Oh wait, the FIA suck Merc sausage. No wonder Merc has been cheating for 10 years and got away with it. Just like last year’s “spicy merc engine” in Brazil. Never has ANY manufacturer been able to gain 30kmh per hour in 1 week WITHOUT DRS deployed. But wait, 0.2mm gap on the DRS wing was responsible for that. A convenient way to “investigate this BS “gap” just to help Merc get away with another bunch of cheating. Merc should be banned for life