FIA confirms which F1 teams breached 2022 cost cap

F1 Cost Cap

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FIA confirms which F1 teams breached 2022 cost cap

The world motorsport governing body has revealed the results of their investigation into team spending last season

Lauren Sneath

Tuesday 5 September 2023 13:00 Updated: 16:41

The FIA has announced that after an ‘intensive’ review, all of the teams on the F1 grid have been confirmed as under the 2022 cost cap level.

The financial restrictions were introduced in 2021, with Red Bull famously falling foul of the limit soon after it was introduced, being hit with a fine and a reduction in their available wind-tunnel time.

Aston Martin were also fined for a procedural breach, due to inaccurately filed documentation.

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Since then, however, rumours have circulated that other teams on the grid have breached the cap more recently.

Teams including Mercedes revealed that they were questioned over their spending in the 2022 season, and earlier this year, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko disclosed his concern that multiple teams had breached the cap.

FIA investigation results revealed

The FIA has confirmed that it completed an ‘intensive review of submissions and auditing of all F1 and non-F1 activities completed by expanded FIA cost cap administration’ for the spending of the teams on the grid, and has found no team guilty of breaching the cap.

The FIA said in a statement: “The FIA confirms that its cost cap administration has now completed the review of the Reporting Documentation submitted by each competitor that participated in the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship in respect of the 2022 full year reporting period ending on 31 December 2022.  

“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.” 

What is the cost cap and why is it there?

The regulation by the FIA, introduced from the 2021 season onwards, restricts F1 teams to a budget of roughly $140 million.

The FIA states on its website that the cap has been created “to ensure the long-term viability of the Championship and encourage convergence in performance between Competitors, thus creating more exciting racing”.

Marko has explained that in particular, the FIA is interested in special projects and companies created by F1 teams.

There is often a blurred line between staff who contribute to F1 operations for a team and those who work in other aspects of the business – for example, Red Bull engineers may have lent expertise to the RB19 F1 car as well as Newey’s special project.

Marko said: "There have been people who work partly there, partly there. How do you separate that?"