The FIA, the governing body of Formula 1, has responded to allegations of further cost cap breaches in the sport, branding the claims as inaccurate. Sky F1 reporter Craig Slater revealed that recent reports suggesting that up to three teams are in breach of the 2022 cost cap are wide of the mark, according to information provided by the FIA.
There have been calls from Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali for sporting penalties to be issued to any future cost cap offenders, citing the 10% reduction in wind tunnel time that was imposed on Red Bull last year for their minor overspend.
Process is ‘still ongoing’ says FIA
The FIA has emphasized that the cost cap auditing process is still ongoing and is scheduled to conclude in the coming weeks. After the process is completed, there will be a period for assessment and finalization of the review. The FIA clarified that there is no deadline for teams to gain certification for the cost cap and denied any suggestion of a delay due to more in-depth investigations.
Slater reached out to teams directly to inquire about their compliance with the 2022 cost cap. Most of the front-running teams responded, expressing confidence that they are compliant and will not breach the cost cap.
While some teams mentioned the challenges posed by inflationary economic factors, they acknowledged that it affects all teams equally. The FIA confirmed that, at present, no team is in breach of the cost cap, dismissing the suggestions of breaches as unfounded.
“This has blown up in the last few days,” said Slater.
“Motorsport Italy and also Auto Motor und Sport in Germany, slightly different reports in both case, the Italian publication saying that three teams are in breach of the cost cap, Auto Motor und Sport in Germany talking about two teams being in breach.
READ MORE: 3 teams rumoured in breach of cost cap
Chaos 💥 at 💥 the 💥 start #HungarianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/GPLOSk596H
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2023
“Now, I’ve contacted the FIA about this.” continues Slater,
“They are quite adamant in their response to me, and I only referenced initially the Italian reports because the German report came out a little bit later, they’ve said the reports are factually wrong.
“They say that the auditing process is still ongoing with regard to the cost cap and it is only scheduled to conclude in the coming weeks, after which there’ll be a period required for assessment and finalisation of review and they’re saying there is no deadline submitted to the teams for them to gain certification for the cost cap.
“The FIA are telling me that any suggestion of delay to the process because of more in-depth investigations this year, these reports carry stories of the FIA going in and investigating whether some of the teams are using other projects to mask development on an F1 car as well, the FIA are telling me there’s no delay because of that.
“And also saying that talk of potential breaches at this stage are unfounded. So that’s the position of the governing body.”
Red Bull & others warned
Red Bull, despite their cost cap penalty, currently dominates the 2023 season, having won all ten Grand Prix races so far.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has issued a warning to Red Bull and other Formula 1 teams, stating that they could face championship points deductions if found to be in breach of the cost cap regulations. Despite Red Bull’s dominant performance, winning all 10 races this season and poised to secure both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles comfortably, Domenicali emphasized that any further violations of the cost cap will result in more severe consequences.
The team faced a £7 million ($9 million) fine from the FIA in October 2022 for a “minor breach” of the regulations introduced for the 2021 season. These regulations stipulated that teams must not exceed a spending limit of £135.5 million ($175 million), with the exception of driver salaries. As part of their penalty, Red Bull was also required to reduce their wind tunnel usage.
Other teams raised objections, arguing that the punishment did not match the severity of the offense. Domenicali shared their sentiments, expressing his support for sporting penalties as a more appropriate consequence for teams found guilty of violating the rules.
De Vries manager threatens legal action
Slater says teams are confident of compliance
“I’ve tried to go around all of the teams and ask them, ‘Are you confident that you are compliant for the cost cap for 2022?’” Slater continued.
“All of the teams who have responded to me, and that includes most of the leading teams I have to say, have all said to me, ‘Yes, we believe we are inside it’.
“So we’ll have to watch this space to see if what happens over the next weeks does throw up a team or two who have breached the cost cap, and one or two of them are explaining to me that the inflationary aspect to economics of the past year or so is making it more difficult, but they are all reflecting that it is the same for everyone.
“But the FIA are telling me no-one in breach at the moment and it’s quite unfounded to suggest as much.”
As the cost cap auditing process continues, the FIA aims to conclude it in a timely manner, avoiding a prolonged situation similar to last year. The governing body remains committed to ensuring compliance and fair competition within the sport.
READ MORE: Perez to spoil Red Bull party
