Christian Horner responds to allegations of Red Bull’s reported budget cap breach

Christian Horner said he is “certainly not aware” of any breaches of FIA rules after a report emerged the team had gone over budget.

The paddock was awash with rumour on Friday as a report suggested both they and Aston Martin had gone over the cap for the 2021 season.

Red Bull, it has been suggested, have gone over the $145 million cap by an additional $5 million which Mercedes and Ferrari reportedly argue could translate to up to half a second of performance on the track.

The FIA, who release their certificates next week declaring who has come in under the budget, say any breaches will be “dealt with” but Horner said he was unaware any such issues had taken place at his team.

“Certainly not aware [of any breaches],” he told Sky Sports F1. “The accounts were all submitted way back in March so it’s been a long process with the FIA.

“Next week is when they declare the certificates, certainly our submission was below the cap. It’s down to the FIA to follow their process, which they’re currently doing.”

Horner was then asked if the issue was going to be a “storm in a teacup” by Martin Brundle before saying that with any new set of regulations, there were going to be differences in how the rules were interpreted and applied but even though “there’s always going to be rumours” he believed his team had done no wrong.

“This cost cap business for last year, and of course, that impacts on who had extra money to spend on this year, but it’s a brand new set of regulations and a set of very complicated regulations so how rules are interpreted and applied, inevitably is going to be subjected between the teams.

“I’m sure as the years go by things will get tidied up but we’re confident in our submission. There’s always going to be rumours. I’ve heard of major breaches and whatever. I’m certainly not aware of that.”

"Our submission was below the cap"

Christian Horner responds to questions about the budget cap in Formula in 2021 and whether some teams have exceeded it 👇 pic.twitter.com/bchAhAiLgO

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) September 30, 2022

Horner also said that process was similar to an audit and that the extra attention the FIA are reportedly paying to Red Bull, could have happened to any team on the grid.

“Remember, this is the first time this has ever happened,” he said. “When we do our due diligence, we get audited anyway. It’s a similar process.

“It’s slightly bespoke to Formula 1 and clarifications have been coming even after the submissions were made so you can see how immature the process is, but the FIA obviously [have] been working hard on it and doing the best they can.

“Every team theoretically is subjected to it so they will have looked at every team’s submitted accounts and they’re following a process.

“We’re very confident in our submission. Anything different to that, then we’ll wait to hear from the FIA.”

Read more: FIA vow to deal with any breaches of the cost cap