BBC Sports
Red Bull have been found guilty of breaking Formula 1’s budget cap by the sport’s governing body, the FIA.
Red Bull exceeded the $145m (£114m) limit during 2021, the FIA said, adding that the offence was “minor”, the lower of the two categories of breach.
This means the team exceeded the cap by less than 5%, or $7.25m.
Both Red Bull and Aston Martin were also found guilty of a procedural breach of the cap.
The FIA did not reveal the amount by which Red Bull exceeded the cap, how it had done so, or what penalties would be applied. It said it was “currently determining appropriate action”.
Red Bull said in a statement that they noted the FIA’s findings “with surprise and disappointment”.
The team added: “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.”
Both teams have the possibility of appealing against the decision.
Potential penalties for a ‘minor’ breach include: a reprimand; deduction of drivers’ and/or constructors’ championship points for the season in question; suspension from one or more stages of a competition; limitations on aerodynamic or other testing; and a reduction of the team’s cost cap.
The FIA statement added: “With respect to this first year of the application of the financial regulations, the intervention of the FIA cost-cap administration has been limited to reviewing the submissions made by the competitors and that no full formal investigations were launched.”
A procedural breach is not an overspend, but rather a failure to fill in forms correctly. Williams were also found guilty of this and fined $25,000 earlier this year…
