Red Bull boss Christian Horner hopes teams will be forced to skip races this season unless Formula 1’s budget cap is increased.
The current cost cap of the competition stands at just under 200 200 million, $ 5 million less than last year and আরও 5 million more from 2023.
The FIA unveiled a three-year glide path in 2020 so that larger teams – such as Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull – could spend more time adjusting the size and scale of their operations so they don’t spend too much.
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“Seven teams will probably miss the last four races to get into the cap this year,” Horner said.
“It’s not just about the big parties. The parties in the middle of the field who are really struggling with inflation.”
With the Covid-19 epidemic, among other rising utility prices, creating huge financial pressures, Horner said the FIA must address the issue before teams can choose between not running and dismissing hundreds of workers.
There is also the argument that if most grid caps are violated this year, the legitimacy of the cap – to give it a more competitive championship – is at stake.
“The FIA has a responsibility to take care of that. I know they are taking it seriously,” he said.
“The energy bill, the cost of living, the cost is going fast, and the F1 is not discounted. Freight has quadrupled and it’s not something we can control.”
But not everyone in the competition agrees with Horner.
Last month, midfielders Alfa Romeo, Alpine, Haas and Williams all voted against a proposal to adjust inflation based on the International Monetary Fund’s inflation figures.
Alpine team president Otmar Safnauer said all parties should have predicted inflation and adjusted accordingly.
“We set our budgets early, we expected some inflation. Inflation didn’t just hit us. If we can do it, then surely others can do it. I’m not just for that. Cap increase,” he said.
“When freight costs increase to 2.5 million or 3.5 million but your development budget is 20 million, you can’t make your development budget 17 million and still be below the cap? You can.
“Then it limits your development. So it’s much easier, if you have the money, to go to the FIA and lobby to increase the cap and keep your development budget the same.”
It has been reported that some groups are concerned that large teams are suing for increased budget-caps as a way to maintain their high level of spending – which is directly related to their race car performance level.
In addition, some sources say they are trying to compound the impact of inflation over the next year, which could eventually increase the cap to 15 15 million.
There are three categories of cap violations, including three possible forms of punishment depending on the severity of the splurge.
One possible compromise would be for the parties to incur an additional five per cent expenditure, an amount that is classified as a minor excess expenditure violation in the financial rules.
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