But for Red Bull, how tough are you? Sources suggest the overspending could be related to restoration and sick pay, but the rules are very complex and the FIA will also want to find out whether it believes any of the breaches are due to deliberate overspending or the result of ‘a mistake given Red Bull’s claim that it was. down
And you have to keep an open mind, because the FIA announcement has left a lot of things unanswered for people to race. Just saying it’s a small breach of overspending and not giving more detail means Red Bull could be guilty of spending more than $7m (£6.32m) over the limit, or the same way it could come to a few dollars in a pair. of areas
This was first reported by one of the tabloids more than a week ago and yet last Wednesday at the 11th hour the FIA stated that it had not yet completed its review of the submissions and delayed the announcement until today. An announcement that followed very closely what had been openly discussed for weeks.
The reasons for this remain unknown, but they hardly paint the picture the FIA is meant to paint right now.
The cost cap is supposed to level the playing field in Formula 1 and, while it was always going to be a key battleground, the first year requires a firm and clear response from the governing body to ensure that the whole process has a chance to work. .
The cost cap is a crucial part of the new F1 regulations
DPPI
Instead, fans are wondering whether behind-the-scenes deals have already been made and get-out clauses sought to find a way to avoid major penalties that could have a material impact on championships that have now been decided after ‘a turbulent past. 12 months for the FIA.
And this cynicism might be totally misplaced if, in fact, Red Bull’s overspending is extremely minor and easy to explain, but despite “transparency” being a buzzword around the cost cap, its lack of both sides mean it’s totally understandable.
These accounts were provided more than six months ago. By now, the FIA should have been in a position to give more details and a clear process to follow. Instead, even the teams that have been named as violators don’t know what comes next, let alone sports fans.
The FIA says it is “currently determining the appropriate course of action to take”, and while doing so, Red Bull is under extreme fire.
Find out if this is justified or not will have to wait even longer. How much time? Your guess is as good as mine.