F1 News
These are the (severe) penalties for exceeding the budget cap
- GPblog.com
According to the latest rumours, Red Bull Racing and Aston Martin would have exceeded the budget cap in 2021. The FIA will crack down on teams that broke the rules. The official regulations outline what penalties teams can expect if they exceed the budget cap limit.
The budget cap was introduced last year to not only make the sport more sustainable but also to ensure that teams would move closer together. On Friday morning, Auto, Motor und Sport reported that the FIA will make public an analysis of the teams' financial data later this week. Red Bull and Aston Martin are said to have exceeded the limit.
Red Bull revealed in a statement that at this stage it is only speculation, and Christian Horner and Helmut Marko also revealed that they are not aware of any violation. The team won the 2021 drivers' title with Max Verstappen, but a foul would also affect this year's title race. Indeed, part of RB18's development came from the 2021 budget.
In the FIA's regulations is a long list of possible penalties. The penalties are divided into three categories: a financial penalty, a minor sporting penalty and a material sporting penalty. The latter category involves a large overshoot of the budget cap.
Option 1: Small overshoot of the budget cap (<5%)
If the budget cap is exceeded by less than five per cent, a minor sporting penalty or financial penalty is imposed. A financial penalty, of course, involves a fine. Different penalties can be imposed for a minor sporting penalty, namely:
1. A public warning
2. Deduction of points in the constructors' championship or drivers' championship from the period of the offence
3. Exclusion from sessions during a race weekend, except for the race itself
4. A fine
5. Limited opportunity to test aerodynamic parts
6. Reduction of the budget cap for the following season
Possibility 2: Major exceeding of budget cap (>5 per cent)
If the offence is above five per cent, it is a major overshoot of the budget cap. A material penalty may follow. A number of penalties correspond to those of the minor overrun, but severe penalties may also follow, leading to exclusion from the championship:
1. Deduction of points in the constructors' championship or drivers' championship from the period of the offence
2. Brake on the ability to develop aerodynamic parts
3. Exclusion from sessions during race weekends, including the race
4. Exclusion from one or more Grands Prix weekends
5. Total exclusion from the championship