FIA president flirts with REMOVING F1 cost cap rule

FIA, Ben Sulayem, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

FIA president flirts with REMOVING F1 cost cap rule

The cost cap was introduced in 2021

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 6 May 2025 09:12

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has questioned Formula 1’s cost cap rule, and has even suggested that it should be removed.

The cost cap rule was introduced to F1 during the 2021 season, and it limits how much a team can spend over the course of the year, to prevent teams with bigger budgets gaining an advantage over smaller teams in a bid to converge performance.

In 2025, the cost cap is set at $140.4 million (£106million), and Ben Sulayem has expressed his frustration at how difficult the cost cap is to manage.

Article continues under video

"I’m looking at the cost cap and it’s just giving the FIA a headache. So what’s the point of it?," Ben Sulayem said to the Associated Press at the Miami Grand Prix. "I don’t see the point. I really don’t."

Should the FIA abandon the F1 cost cap?

Ben Sulayem’s comments come after Zak Brown proposed that any teams making any allegations against another should be required to lodge a formal complaint with a monetary deposit.

Red Bull launched a protest against Mercedes at the Miami GP, after stewards had ruled that George Russell had not broken any rules under yellow flag conditions. Red Bull's protest issued new evidence, but was not successful, and Russell maintained his third-place finish.

Whilst Brown suggested that the money should be returned if the allegations are proven true, he added it should count against the cost cap if unproven as a deterrent to making damaging claims.

Ben Sulayem agreed with these claims but was hesitant to concur that it should count against the cost cap, prompting his rant about the rule.

"You cannot just accuse someone without a written complaint, and that protest, you have to pay money," the FIA president added on the matter.

F1 HEADLINES: Lewis Hamilton handed FIA penalty verdict as star admits falling asleep at Miami GP

Red Bull FIA Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix Zak Brown Mohammed Ben Sulayem