The long-running saga over Red Bull and Aston Martin's cost cap violation is apparently winding down.
ERWIN SCHERIAUGetty ImagesNearly a month after it was first reported that Red Bull and Aston Martin violated the 2021 Formula 1 cost cap, the FIA has reportedly reached a deal with both teams. The terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed, but should be publicly revealed tomorrow.
According toMotorsport, Red Bull’s deal is likely to include both a financial penalty and a reduction in aerodynamic testing availability. As the recently crowned 2022 constructor’s champions, Red Bull will already have less access to both physical wind tunnel time and CFD software than any other team on the grid. The further reduction is effectively a competition tool to reduce the team’s ability to develop its car, theoretically putting Red Bull at a disadvantage to the field next season.
Red Bull’s harsh penalty comes after it was deemed to be the only team in significant breach of the new cost cap rule, which was designed to level the playing field for smaller teams and allow the entire grid to be competitive in a series that had long been about spending to win. While the relatively small financial overrun is unlikely to have played a significant part in the team’s 2022 success, it’s worth noting that Red Bull is both the only team guilty of a major breach and the winner of all but four races run so far this season.
Aston Martin’s deal, which has long been expected to be much less extreme given that the team was found guilty only of a minor tax-related breach, will reportedly only include a financial penalty.
Keyword: Red Bull and Aston Martin Reportedly Have Cost Cap Overrun Deal With FIA