If the river makes noise, the water carries. And in this case the water was cloudy. Rumors were true that Red Bull violated FIA-imposed cost limits from 2021. The FIA ​​reported on Monday that Red Bull did not meet last year’s budget cap. $140 million imposed by regulation for maximum equality between groups. What is questionable is whether those of Milton Keynes, less than 5% of the total (less than 7 million) made minor mistakes in exceeding the limit, or made serious (more than 5%) violations, and ultimately The highest international organization reported that there had been an infringement. Energy drinks had a “minor” percentage of the table, but although exact figures were not specified, Aston announced that Martin had committed a “procedural” infringement.

The distinction between “minor” and “serious” was an important issue. Red Bull sanctions still unknown. But whatever happens, chaos is guaranteed. And it is Red Bull cheating in this sense that could have a direct impact on achieving the 2021 title and creating a 2022 car. Verstappen He won the crown for the second time.Complaints from sets like mercedes ferrari The remaining grid squares are fully guaranteed. The exact number of violations has not been specified. It’s possible Red Bull spent his €10,000, or even his €7 million, but that simple suspicion is a sharp weapon for other teams.

Last year, the team had to split their financial efforts into two key goals. 2022 regulationTotally different from last year. Complaints from Mercedes are predictable, and Star Team has already explained how significant it is that Red Bull exceeded its spending limit the previous year. Hamilton and Verstappen in 2021Hamilton has already made that clear in Singapore. So he said he was surprised that while Mercedes could not afford to continue developing the car after the Silverstone race to avoid going over budget in 2021, Red Bull continued to improve.

“I remember last year silverstone There was an update last time, luckily it was great and we were able to work on it. But then every weekend or every other week brought improvements to Red Bull. I think he’s had at least four renewals since then,” the British pilot told Sky over a week ago.

“Had we spent another $300,000 ($) on new floors and improved wings, the result of the championship would have been different.”

Lewis Hamilton

“Had we spent another $300,000 ($) on new floors and improved wings, the championship result would of course have been different because we would have been in a better position to compete in the next race. I hope that’s not the case for sport.” Claimed seven-time world champion.

Now that the FIA ​​has formalized Red Bull’s offense, Mercedes could raise tone of complaintAnd when this news Controversial final due to Race Direction’s failure to comply with ‘safety car’ proceduresIf you already thought Mercedes and the British press had ‘stole’ the title from Lewis Hamilton, which hurt Hamilton and was key to Verstappen’s 2021 title win, the news will only fuel sentiment. is.

The fact that the breach was minor doesn’t put the spirits of the rest of the team at ease, as with less than 7 million, Red Bull was able to gain a significant advantage. In fact, Mercedes and Ferrari have already promised in Singapore that they can improve their 5 million cars by another half a second. So these groups already have material to openly attack their opponents and talk about big injustices.

Mercedes and Ferrari guaranteed that they could improve their cars by up to half a second at a cost of another 5 million.

at the Singapore GP

But the benefits Red Bull may have achieved by going over the budget cap may not be in terms of specific parts of the car, but also in terms of staff. The restrictions forced McLaren to tighten its belts with the dismissal of some members of the team and cuts in wages in general, while other teams (he didn’t name names) had stratospheric contract salaries. This breach is also consistent with the significant investment Red Bull had to make in its new internal engine structure, employing hundreds of people after Honda’s breakup.

What kind of punishment will be applied to Red Bull?

What penalties will Red Bull face for violating this new regulation? These F1 laws were created with many loopholes. The main one is that the sanctions are not clear and there are no specific penalties for exceeding their limits.

In Case of “Minor or Minor Violation”, Do not exceed 5% of the limit. red bullthe issue will most likely be resolved with a monetary fine (some say around €7 million) and less wind tunnel time, or a point penalty. Constructors’ Championship of that year. But if so, none of these sanctions are harsh and set a dangerous precedent, given that this could be key to his 2021 title and the creation of his 2022 winning car. does not generate Use these possible penalties when you know that this guarantees more performance. Badly punished traps can cause more trapsso the FIA ​​must ensure that its actions do not further this issue.

There are so many possible punishments, so different from each other, that they are all unknown. Mercedes and Ferrari have revealed that what is considered a ‘minor infraction’ could change the championship. The hot potato is in the hands of the FIA.