Horner on budget cap breach: 'Zero benefit from a development perspective'

Christian Horner still believes Red Bull Racing has complied with the budget cap rules in 2021. The Briton does not think his team has had an advantage in 2021 or will have an advantage in the coming season.

Red Bull has been found guilty by the FIA of slightly exceeding its budget cap. The amount involved is unclear, but several sources have reported that it is between two and seven million.

Horner stresses that Red Bull also filed a report back in 2021, but at that time the team heard nothing about a violation. Only months later, after submitting the official report, something was found to be wrong.

"We made an interim submission in 2021, there was no feedback or suggestion that we were doing anything contrary to regulations. The submission was made in March, and we didn't hear anything until September. A significant period of time. There is also duty in the regulations for the FIA to guide", Horner says during the team bosses' press conference.

Horner: 'Don't feel we have had any advantage'

The team boss stressex that Red Bull still feels it has stayed within the budget cap. According to Horner, the team had no advantage in 2021, where Max Verstappen won the world title on the very last lap of the race in Abu Dhabi. A breach would also give the team an advantage over the competition in upcoming seasons, but Horner disagrees.

"Our view is that our relevant costs are within the cap, we are in discussion with the FIA about what those costs are and what are potential mitigating circumstances. We had zero benefit from a development perspective, or an operational perspective for 2021 or 2022. Our submission was significantly below the cap. We expected certain things to be challenged or clarified as is the process with new regulations. Interpretation of those rules were clear from our side, we absolutely don't feel that we have had any advantage in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 or some teams talk about 2026. It's totally fictitious."