The FIA released its cost cap investigation findings on Monday night following the Japanese Grand Prix, and a statement said two teams, Red Bull and Aston Martin, have breached the 2021 Financial Regulations.
Williams made a Procedural Breach in May 2022, but only in reference to a late submission of files, which the team was fined for, and then rectified in a “timely, cooperative and transparent manner”.
Aston Martin was deemed to make a Procedural Breach, while there was no overspend.
However, the team which led Max Verstappen to last year’s drivers world title, Red Bull, committed both a Procedural Breach and a Minor Financial Overspend (less than 5% of the $145 million Cost Cap), according to the FIA.
Penalties for a minor breach can range from a public reprimand, a deduction of constructors’ or drivers’ championship points, exclusion from events, limitations on aero testing or a fine.
Red Bull issued a response to the findings on social media stating it still believes “our submission was below the Cost Cap limit”.
“We note the findings by the FIA of ‘Minor Overspend Breaches of the Financial Regulations’ with surprise and disappointment,” read the statement.
“Our 2021 submission was below the Cost Cap limit, so we need to carefully revew 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.”
