Red Bull have reacted with “surprise and disappointment” after the FIA found the team to be in breach of Formula 1’s budget cap regulations for the 2021 season.
One day after Max Verstappen claimed his second world title at the Japanese Grand Prix, the FIA announced Red Bull were guilty of a “minor” breach of the rules in his first championship-winning campaign.
Monday’s FIA ruling was not accompanied by any punishment for the team, with the governing body stating they are “determining the appropriate course of action”.
Although Red Bull – who currently hold a 165-point lead over Ferrari at the top of the constructors’ standings – are unlikely to face serious sanctions, the team remain confident in their submitted financial reports.
A statement released by Red Bull said: “We note the findings by the FIA of ‘minor overspend breaches of the financial regulations’ with surprise and disappointment.
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) October 10, 2022
“Our 2021 submission was below the cost cap limit, so we need to carefully review the FIA’s findings as our belief remains that the relevant costs are under the 2021 cost cap amount.
“Despite the conjecture and positioning of others, there is of course a process under the regulations with the FIA, which we will respectfully follow while we consider all the options available to us.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was bullish in response to accusations Red Bull had overspent last month, declaring the team were “absolutely confident” they had not fallen foul of the regulations.
Aston Martin, who were also thought to have breached the cap, were found to have merely made a “procedural” error in their reports.
Source: Livescore