Red Bull warned they may be docked points as new cost cap report to be released

Christian Horner on Red Bull's success and hints at next step

F1 chief Stefano Domenicali has warned Red Bull and other F1 teams that they could face being docked championship points this year if they are found to be in breach of the cost cap regulations. The Austrian team have won all 10 races this season and are expected to claim both Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles with consummate ease, but Domenicali has sounded a warning that any further cost cap breaches will result in a more severe punishment this time around.

The Constructors’ winners were fined £7million in October 2022 by the FIA following a ‘minor breach’ of the regulations in 2021, which were introduced for that season. Teams were not allowed to spend more than £135.5m ($175million), with their only exclusions being driver salaries.

The Austrian team also were forced to reduce their time spent in the wind tunnel as a result of their agreement with the powerbrokers.

Rival teams protested that the severity of the crime did not fit the punishment and Domenicali appeared to agree, as the Italian supremo reiterated his desire to see teams face sporting penalties if they are guilty of breaking the rules.

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“I would like the penalty to be sporting in the event of an infraction, it is something we asked very clearly,” Domenicali said, as quoted by Motorsport.com’s Italian website.

“There are three regulations to be respected, sporting, technical and financial, and any infractions must be punished with sporting measures. You can’t go in any other direction.”

Such a decision would affect the team’s points in the Constructors’ standings and potentially the Drivers’ championship too. At one stage last season, Verstappen’s 2021 title was thought to be under threat as it applied to the season where Red Bull exceeded their maximum budget.

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Red Bull negotiated a compromise to ensure the impact was mostly financial. However, their reduction in wind tunnel time does not seem to have impacted their development for 2023, with the RB19 proving to be one of their quickest as Christian Horner’s team have dominated at every race this season.

One of the issues raised by Red Bull last year, in addition to Mercedes, was being forced to let staff go as a result of their tighter budget. And Domenicali has assured talks are ongoing to ensure people do not have to lose their

“It’s a subject of attention between the teams and the Federation, they’re trying to lend a hand to the teams that in the past were able to invest less in their structure. These are ongoing discussions in the Financial Regulation forum, because the budget cap must not include this limit.”

It comes as widespread speculation persists that three teams have fallen foul of the cost cap for 2023, which could see them docked points if Domenicali gets his way.

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