F1 'PENALTIES' revealed after cost cap revelations

adrian newey at Red Bull — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 'PENALTIES' revealed after cost cap revelations

F1 design legend Adrian Newey has revealed how Red Bull have suffered

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Friday 7 February 2025 18:58 Updated: 21:04

An unusual 'penalty' has been revealed for many Formula 1 teams ahead of the 2025 season, including Red Bull.

Christian Horner's outfit endured a less-than-ideal year both on and off track last season, slipping to third place in the constructors' championship despite star driver Max Verstappen securing the drivers' title.

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The Dutchman's 2024 victory marked his fourth consecutive championship in the sport, and heading into 2025, he will no doubt be chasing Michael Schumacher's record of five in a row.

There are major changes on the horizon in F1 however, as the 2026 regulation changes are fast approaching and Verstappen's own future on the grid with Red Bull is becoming increasingly uncertain.

The 27-year-old has spent the off-season relaxing with his family and soon-to-be mother of his first child, Kelly Piquet, but among the festivities, the winter break also saw rumours swirl over a potential offer for Verstappen to switch to race for Aston Martin.

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Aston Martin have secured the signature of former Red Bull legend Adrian Newey

Newey reveals cost cap issue in Red Bull talks

Should the reigning champion opt to switch to Lawrence Stroll's outfit, he would be in familiar company as former Red Bull employee and F1 design guru Adrian Newey recently joined the Silverstone-based team.

In an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Newey reflected on his experience at Red Bull, providing a unique insight into the issues that come with working in the sport, including the bizarre restrictions of the cost cap.

"I fully agree with the cost cap though it does come with a lot of hidden penalties one of which is that it actually means Formula 1 is no longer the best paid industry.

"So for instance at Red Bull we started, if we lost people, it would almost be to another Formula One team now we're losing people to tech companies because they pay better.

"We're losing people to WEC teams because they pay better, we're struggling to get graduates because Formula 1 can't afford to be the best paying industry anymore.

"So it has unexpected penalties to it but what it does mean is that you've effectively now got an engineering budget and therefore the fear that spending more will mean you'll disappear is theoretically disappeared at which point surely you free up the regulations rather make them ever more restrictive but unfortunately it's not what's happening."