Like any other organization, Formula 1 is bound by certain regulations—sporting, technical, and, most recently, financial regulations, to be exact. And as would be expected, a breach in any of these over a season leads to penalties. And it’s the financial regulations that have generated the most uproar since they were introduced. The FIA brought in the budget cap—a $145 million spending limit that has now been reduced to $135 million—in 2021 to help level the playing field. But despite the spending limit, the FIA found that Max Verstappen and Red Bull had breached the cap by 1.6% in 2021—the year Verstappen infamously won the drivers’ crown—and were penalized because of it. And according to rumors in the paddock, 3 teams might have followed suit in 2022.

After it came to light last October that Red Bull breached the cap, teams didn’t hesitate to appeal to the FIA to penalize the Milton-Keynes outfit for getting an unfair advantage. As a result, Red Bull was fined $7 million and given a 10% reduction in aerodynamic testing for a year. Despite the penalties, it seems as though some teams didn’t learn from Red Bull’s crimes because, according to a report by motorsport.com, “There are rumors that whisper doubts about three out of ten teams [regarding breaches in the cost cap].” 

As per reports, the FIA is set to publicize the results of its review at the end of July, right before the summer break. But unlike last year, where the deliberations about necessary actions were prolonged for quite some time, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has asked the FIA to fasten the process this year. He said, “Control is in the hands of the FIA. Personally, what I have asked is to anticipate the publication of the investigations made by the staff of the International Federation as soon as possible because, in this way, there is no room for speculation and comments that are not good for nobody.”

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During the period the FIA publicized Red Bull’s breach and decided the penalty, teams expressed their disapproval toward Red Bull, with McLaren CEO Zak Brown even accusing the team of cheating. If the rumors about the three teams breaching the cost cap last season are accurate, the repercussions would be three times more, which is why Domenicali has urged the FIA to decide the penalties as soon as possible. Whether teams agree to it or not, the cost cap has helped the field get tighter. But teams like Mercedes aren’t too convinced.

Lewis Hamilton & Co. express their disapproval of the cost cap

Despite its fine and reduced aerodynamic testing time, Red Bull built a car for this season that has proved superior to every other team’s challengers. And because it’s so far up ahead the road, Lewis Hamilton believes that the cost cap hasn’t worked. In an interview, Hamilton said, “[The FIA] changed the rules and put in this budget cap, which was supposed to level the field, and it didn’t. So what I mean is that we have to keep talking about it.” 

Hamilton failed to consider that even though Red Bull is far ahead, four teams are fighting each other right behind it. And every weekend, there are on-track battles worth remembering. But Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff is just as vehement about the cost cap concept. He felt that the reputational damage that would come with being penalized for breaches would prevent teams from exceeding the limit, but considering the rumors, that hasn’t been the case, which is why Wolff questions the effectiveness of this concept.

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