Vasseur: Red Bull budget cap penalty was 'VERY LIGHT'
Vasseur: Red Bull budget cap penalty was 'VERY LIGHT'
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has complained that Red Bull's punishment for breaching Formula 1's budget cap was "very light".
Red Bull were fined just over £6 million and hit with a 10 per cent reduction in their permitted aerodynamic research for a year after surpassing the strict cap by £1.86 m in 2021.
However, the constructor has shown no signs of creaking under the weight of the punishment after storming to success in all three races this year, leaving Ferrari and their rivals trailing in their wake.
And Vasseur, while conceding that Red Bull have done a "very good job" this season, has voiced his belief that the measures taken were not strong enough.
"I am still convinced the penalty was very light," he said.
"If you consider we will improve [the car's performance by] a bit less than one second over the season in terms of aero, [and] you get a penalty of one tenth of this, it is [equivalent to a loss of] 0.1secs.
"As it is not a linear progression, it is probably less, and as you are allowed to spend this money somewhere else, on weight saving and so on, for me the penalty is marginal.
"I don't want to say they didn't do a good job because, honestly, they did a very good job on the car. I am not trying to find an excuse at all, but if you ask me if the penalty is too light, I say yes."
Horner: Penalty was 'pretty draconian'
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, in contrast, hit out at the penalty by describing it as "pretty draconian."
Speaking at last month's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, he said: "It was vital for us to be able to cope with that penalty to have a solid starting point.
"It was so critical for us to come out of the blocks competitively. The wind tunnel reduction has applied since last October so we couldn't afford to miss the target because you'd never be able to engineer your way out of it with that handicap."
Currently, Red Bull hold a 97-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ championship.
READ MORE: F1 Team Principals: Who are the men in charge in 2023?
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Marko defends Ricciardo in 'unbelievable' idiot claim
- 36 minutes ago
Hamilton hints at sensational Newey arrival at Ferrari
- 1 hour ago
Suspended Red Bull employee 'grilled' as Horner saga given potential END DATE
- 2 hours ago
BLOW for former F1 champion as Mercedes preferences revealed
- 3 hours ago
F1 boss HITS BACK at star driver over schedule complaints
- Today 17:58
F1 2025 Driver Lineup: Big names on the move as half the grid reshuffles for next season
- Today 17:00
Related news
Newey exit DATE revealed as Red Bull F1 chief set to leave
Horner reveals 'unhuman' Verstappen secret
Red Bull already sending parts to F1 race MONTHS away
Schumacher reveals what F1 pundits are NOT allowed to say about Red Bull
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860