Red Bull-FIA talks on F1 cost cap breach agreement put on hold
Talks between Red Bull and the FIA over a Formula 1 cost cap breach agreement have been put on hold following the death of Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz.
Mateschitz died on Saturday at the age of 78 following a long battle with illness, sparking an outpouring of tributes through the F1 paddock, which was left in mourning.
Earlier in the United States Grand Prix race weekend, much of the focus for Red Bull had been on talks with the FIA over its alleged breach of F1’s cost cap last year.
The FIA deemed in its audit that Red Bull had exceeded the $145 million limit for the 2021 season, something the team strongly denied.
Talks took place between Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in Austin about the matter, with Horner expressing an interest to get a swift solution to the matter.
But in light of Mateschitz’s passing, talks about any Accepted Breach Agreement have now been put on hold, while the deadline has also been shifted as a result.
“Following the passing of Mr Mateschitz, all conversations with the FIA around Cost Cap and next steps are on hold until further notice,” read a statement from Red Bull.
“The deadline for agreement has been extended and we expect talks to pick back up [in the] middle of the week.”
Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Red Bull is set to face some kind of sanction from the FIA, but Horner said the team’s submission was “well below” the cap and that claimed breach would have had “zero benefit” on car performance.
The talks currently surround an Accepted Breach Agreement, which would see Red Bull admit that it exceeded the budget cap and strike an agreement with the FIA.
Horner said on Saturday prior to news of Mateschitz’s death that he was “hopeful that it can be resolved during this weekend,” warning that the case could drag on if an agreement is not struck.
“The next process [is] it goes to the cost cap administration panel, and then beyond that there’s the International Court of Appeal,” said Horner.
“So it could draw it out for another six, nine months, which is not our intention. We want closure on 2021. I think that we’ve had some healthy and productive discussions with the FIA.
“I’m hopeful of being able to reach a conclusion in the near future.”
Related video
Mercedes may modify new F1 wing to avoid "falling foul" of FIA
Ocon to start US GP from pitlane as Alpine takes fresh engine
Fenestraz risked 'finishing on three wheels' with Diriyah FE pass on Mortara
Sacha Fenestraz reckoned he took a "big risk" in passing Edoardo Mortara late on in the second Diriyah E-Prix, which secured eighth for the Nissan driver's first Formula E points.
Williams: Vowles can help "finish off the journey" in F1 turnaround
Incoming Williams Formula 1 boss James Vowles can provide long-term stability and help "finish off the journey" in taking the team forward, according to sporting chief Sven Smeets.
WRC Rally Sweden: Everything you need to know
The World Rally Championship heads to the snow covered roads of Sweden for the second round of the season this weekend. Here's everything you need to know.
How the last Sauber-built Alfa offers F1 2023 evolution clues
Alfa Romeo has become the first Formula 1 team to reveal a new car for 2023, in addition to a fresh livery. This offered a first look at some of the understated changes produced by the revised regulations, along with points of convergence in the second year of the ground effect rules
How the last Sauber-built Alfa offers F1 2023 evolution clues
Alfa Romeo has become the first Formula 1 team to reveal a new car for 2023, in addition to a fresh livery. This offered a first look at some of the understated changes produced by the revised regulations, along with points of convergence in the second year of the ground effect rules
The pioneering F1 car that preceded Lotus’s terminal decline
In the hands of Ayrton Senna the actively suspended 99T would be the last F1 race-winning Lotus but, as STUART CODLING reveals, it was a complicated machine that caused more problems than it solved
How Tyrrell became a racing Rubik’s cube as it faded out of F1
Formula 1’s transformation into a global sport meant the gradual extinction for a small team determined to stay true to its low-budget roots. But Tyrrell would eventually be reborn as a world-beating outfit again, explains MAURICE HAMILTON, albeit in different colours…
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
How do the best races of F1 2022 stack up to 2021?
OPINION: A system to score all the grands prix from the past two seasons produces some interesting results and sets a standard that 2023 should surely exceed
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.