Steiner counters Horner doomsday concern

Gunether Steiner and Christian Horner — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 2022

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Steiner counters Horner doomsday concern

Red Bull boss has suggested teams might be unable to finish the season

Ian Parkes

Friday 27 May 2022 08:00

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has urged Red Bull rival Christian Horner to make his organisation's budget cap work rather than airing a potential doomsday scenario for F1.

Horner has warned of the possibility several teams will not be around for the final few races of this season if an increase in the $140million cap is not implemented due to a sharp global rise in costs, with freight proving to be one of the main areas of concern.

Steiner feels the cap is proving to be the great leveller that it was introduced for and that teams should mend and make do accordingly, as Haas has always been forced to do, regardless of real-world issues.

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Asked whether spiralling costs were affecting his team, Steiner said: "Our costs are rising but our problem is not the budget cap it's the cash budget because we cannot have more.

"Like any business, when you have a cash problem or a potential cash problem, you cut your cloth accordingly with what you are doing.

"We need to get to the end of the season, we need to do it. It's just running a business."

Horner told to 'start saving now'

Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer earlier this week suggested to Horner to spend less in order to make the cap and to ensure his team could compete in the final few races.

"You need to start [saving now] because there are still six months to go," concurred Steiner.

"If you cannot compete for the last four races, then start now saving money. That's business.

"If they [Red Bull] don't do the last four races, there are nine teams who will be very happy about it because they won't get any more [money from the prize fund] next year and we can divide it.

"So we are happy people, and for sure, Ferrari will be happy if they're not at the last four races.

"He's saying we cannot make it, but as a businessman, you need to make it at the end of the day."

Steiner facing stark reality from Haas

Steiner feels there should be no excuses for not operating under the cap no matter the circumstances.

"We all have to make it," assessed Steiner. "I don't have the option of telling my boss I won't make it to the end of the season. That's my job.

"If you don't finish the season then next year you won't get any money, and what does that mean, you're out of business - most of us - because it's a lot of money. If you don't show up, you don't get money.

"My solution is I need to make it work, one way or another, and I think most of the team principals are under those instructions.

"If you're a CEO of a company, the board says to you 'You need to make it work and if you don't we'll get the next CEO in'. Pretty simple."