Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko claimed their are six teams that are over the 2022 Formula 1 budget cap due to inflation rates going beyond what was accounted for.
Red Bull have recently closed their 2021 F1 cost cap breach matter after signing an Accepted Breach Agreement with the FIA, where they will have to pay a $7-Million fine and suffer the loss of 10% of their wind tunnel time for the coming 12 months.
The budget cap was brought in to make sure all teams are spending the same amount of money, with the hope that the the field will converge in terms of performance, but Marko doesn’t think it’s working.
“So far, the budget cap hasn’t changed anything at all,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. “Why should that be different in the future? You just have to develop better.
“Of course, it hits us that we already have fewer wind tunnel hours after winning the Constructors’ Cup. Every attempt has to be successful with us now. In the end, it always comes down to the quality of the staff,” he said of his team’s penalty.
Red Bull thought they were safe
Red Bull were found to have spent $2.2-Million over the cap, but a proper tax credit application would’ve made the overspend only $400,000.
Marko tried to explain how it went wrong for Red Bull; he said: “It was the first year of the budget cap. The rules were vague. They [FIA] reacted late with clarifications.
“We had Ernst & Young check everything,” he revealed. “You have to rely on something. We thought we had a safety net of three million. In the end there was only $400,000 left.
“With the money, Hamilton constructs a front wing (grins). The Haas makes a whole new car,” the Austrian joked, referring to a statement by Hamilton where the Briton said Mercedes had to scrap the development of a new wing in 2021 that costs $300,000.
However, Marko believes more teams will be in trouble in 2022 due to inflation; he said: “I think the current status is that six teams are over it.
“Inflation is something that was not calculable to that extent. Especially when it comes to energy costs,” the Red Bull advisor maintained.