FIA reveals all 10 F1 teams met 2022 cost cap

Each team will receive a certificate of compliance for meeting the cap between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2022, which stands at a base of $135 million plus extras.

The FIA added that non-F1 activities within each team were studied extensively, along with on-site visits, but none were found to have breached the cap amid earlier controversy that teams were using engineering off-shoots to influence their F1 projects. This is a loophole that has now been closed off.

No procedural breaches - related to either incorrect adjustment of costs or incorrect filing of the required paperwork - were reported either, amid rumours earlier in the season that there were indeed teams who had breached the regulations pertaining to the cap.

The governing body stated that: "The FIA Cost Cap Administration has issued certificates of compliance to all of the ten Competitors."

"The review has been an intensive and thorough process, beginning with a detailed analysis of the documentation submitted by the competitors.

"Additionally, there has been an extensive check of any non-F1 activities undertaken by the teams, which comprised multiple on-site visits to team facilities and careful auditing procedures to assess compliance with the Financial Regulations.

"The FIA Cost Cap Administration notes that all Competitors acted at all times in a spirit of good faith and cooperation throughout the process."

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing Team Principal

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

This follows last year's controversy where Red Bull was found to have overspent by approximately $1.8m, for which it received a financial penalty of $7m and a 10% reduction in its allotted aerodynamic testing in a defined "Minor Overspend Breach" - which amounts to under 5% of the overall cost cap value.

In last year's auditing, Aston Martin was also fined $450,000 for a procedural breach, related to the adjustment of costs for its new Silverstone base.

Of the breaches defined under the regulations, a "Material Overspend Breach" is the most severe and relates to an overspend of over 5% of the cost cap value. In that case, the FIA will deduct championship points depending on the size of the breach and is at liberty to decide whether it adds financial or sporting penalties to that.