F1 rivals will fear "big reputational consequences" after Red Bull penalty - Wolff

Ian Parkes
Saturday 5 November 2022 18:30

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes no F1 team will risk breaching the budget cap in future after witnessing the "big reputational consequences" suffered by Red Bull.

Despite winning its first drivers' and constructors' championship double this year for the first time since 2014, Red Bull's success has been overshadowed after it was found guilty of spending beyond the limits imposed by the financial regulations for last season.

The team was hit with a financial penalty of $7million and a sporting sanction of a 10 percent reduction in its windtunnel and CFD [computational fluid dynamics] usage for the next 12 months.

Wolff feels, however, the damage sustained to its standing in F1 and with its partners was an additional unwanted consequence that will serve as a deterrent to all teams.

“For me, the most important outcome of this whole process is that there was a penalty," said Wolff.

“Whether it’s too small, just right, too big, difficult to judge. It was the first [decision from the FIA].

“[There was] Strong governance, strong policing, independent assessment, and then a fine, and that wouldn’t have been the case in the past, I guess.

“Beyond the sporting penalty and the financial penalty, which obviously resonates in the real world out there, there are big reputational consequences.

“That’s why I believe no team is going to put a foot wrong, go over the line, because you don’t want to have your partners and your team dragged into this space.

“Living in a transparent, compliant world, everything needs governance, and for the sport overall, this is the real achievement of the whole process.”