Motor racing-McLaren’s Brown says budget cap breach amounts to cheating
One AmericaNov 16, 2022
McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown has accused Red Bull of cheating by breaking the budget cap in a letter to governing body Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) president and Formula 1 president. The letter, which argues that budget cap breaches "constitute cheating," was delivered on Monday to the other five teams that have not committed any cost cap violations - Ferrari, Mercedes, Alpine, Alfa Romeo, and Haas.
Brown suggested that overspending occurrences and serious procedural breaches should be penalized by a reduction to the team cost cap in the following year, equaling the overspend, in addition to a fine.
FIA must deliver a clear and just response to instances like this where one team has gained an unfair advantage by breaking the rules. A strong punishment for Red Bull for overspending will deter other teams from future violations. In addition, the financial rules must change - $7M represents a massive upgrade on an F1 car, not a "minor" breach. Team leaders must have greater personal responsibility for finances.
The FIA can't be too lenient or will risk creating a precedent that would end the budget cap. But making an example of Red Bull also isn't the right way to solve this issue. Too harsh a punishment would trigger a costly legal battle that is likely to tarnish the organization and Formula 1 itself. The FIA must walk a fine line to get the sentence right, bearing in mind that this was just the first year of these rules.