Red Bull breached the cost cap, confirms FIA

Red Bull has denied the report and said that it "will carefully review" the finding.

The champion of 2022 may have been decided, but the drama of 2021 isn't over yet. According to FIA's most recent findings, Aston Martin and Red Bull have breached the 2021 cost cap.

Aston Martin has committed a 'Procedural Breach'. While Red Bull has committed a Procedural Breach and a 'Minor Financial Overspend' (less than 5% of the Cost Cap), according to the FIA. Earlier in May this year, Williams was fined $25,000 following a procedural breach of Formula 1’s financial regulations.

FIA Statement

FIA, in an official statement, said that "The review of the reporting documentation submitted has been an intensive and thorough process, and all competitors gave their full support in providing the required information to assess their financial situation during this first year of the Financial Regulations. The FIA Cost Cap Administration notes that all Competitors acted at all times in a spirit of good faith and cooperation throughout the process."

"The FIA would also note that 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. The FIA Cost Cap Administration is currently determining the appropriate course of action to be taken under the Financial Regulations with respect to Aston Martin and Red Bull and further information will be communicated in compliance with the Regulations," further added FIA.

Redbull's denial

Upon the release of the report, Red Bull responded by releasing an official statement that they need to carefully review the governing body's latest findings.

"We note the findings by the FIA of 'minor overspend breaches of the financial regulations' with surprise and disappointment. 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." said the Oracle Red Bull Team in their official release.

All the other teams have been under the cap, as per the finding. All of Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine, AlphaTauri, Alfa Romeo, Williams and Haas are in compliance. Aston Martin, too, is under the cost cap. Only Red Bull seemed to have exceeded it in 2021.

Rumours had circulated since before the Singapore Grand Prix that Red Bull was over last year’s cap, but team principal Christian Horner strongly refuted the claims. So did the Red Bull team after the FIA's official release.

Minor overspend breaches — that is less than 5% over the cost cap — can result in financial penalties and/or minor sporting penalties that include a public reprimand, deduction of constructors’ championship points, deduction of drivers’ championship points, suspension from one or more stages of competition (but not the race itself), limitations on testing, and reduction of the cost cap.