F1 team principals react as rival accused of ‘substantial’ cost cap breach

F1 team principals have given their first reaction to the news that two teams breached cost cap rules for the 2024 season.

PlanetF1.com broke the story that Aston Martin had made a minor procedural error while another competitor is understood to have made a ‘substantial’ breach of the financial guidelines.

F1 team principals discuss financial rules breach

Since 2021, teams have been subjected to a yearly audit, and while Aston Martin’s breach was more procedural, the other team in question is thought to have exceeded the circa $165m cap.

While the team in question is believed to be in discussions with the FIA about the situation, any breach is likely to be met with a fine or possibly even sporting penalty.

In 2022, Red Bull was found to have exceeded the 2021 cost cap and was given a $7m fine as well as a 10 per cent reduction of its wind tunnel and CFD time.

While the FIA conducts its due diligence, the matter was put to some of the current team principals during the press conference in Mexico.

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Sauber’s Jonathan Wheatley, who was part of Red Bull during its cost cap breach, was hesitant to comment but said that sometimes things can “come out of control.”

“I think the delay in announcing [the result of the FIA audit] made it very clear to all of us that there were some teams in trouble, or a team in trouble,” he said. “I can speak from experience, it’s a very, very difficult thing to balance.

“You want to be competitive. You want to spend every last dollar up against your cost cap limit, of course you do. That’s what we’re in the business of doing, why we’re in racing, we’re in a competitive sport.

“I think the first thing I would say is that nobody’s doing it intentionally. These things happen.

“Sometimes things can just come out of control, a little bit like a car crash, something like that, and an unexpected cost late on.

“I don’t want to speculate on the cause of it. I think we now understand why we were late in getting the publication from the FIA.”

Wheatley was joined by Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur who was also hesitant to comment on the “speculation” but said a distinction has to be made between sporting advantages and financial errors.

“I think it’s not a big deal to have the decision in September or October,” he said. “At the end of the day on this, we have to trust the FIA that they are doing their job.

“I think it’s not an easy one, honestly, but we also have to avoid making any speculation on rumours, so that would be a mistake.

“And the last part of the equation, if someone did a procedural breach, I think this can happen to everybody, and it’s not a sporting advantage, and we have to split what is a sporting advantage with a sporting penalty and technical advantage or technical mistake, let’s say that with a fine.”

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