Horner dismisses future Red Bull budget cap concerns

Ewan Gale
Wednesday 9 November 2022 06:00

Christian Horner has claimed he "cannot believe" Red Bull will be "out of kilter" with the rest of the F1 grid when the 2022 budget cap audit is complete.

The world championship-winning team was fined $7million and hit with a 10 per cent reduction in wind tunnel aerodynamic testing time for next year having taken an 'accepted breach agreement' offer from the FIA.

That was after a minor breach of the $145million cap last season was confirmed by F1's governing body last month.

Finances had already been a talking point this season with Horner at one stage the leading advocate for an FIA review into rising freight costs and inflation as a result of Russia's war against Ukraine.

There were eventually concessions made but given Red Bull's perceived failure to remain within the budget cap in 2021, Horner was asked whether he held any concerns over falling foul for the current campaign.

"This year is a challenge with the energy costs and everything else associated with it," replied the Red Bull team principal.

"If I look at the facts, Max Verstappen has had the least amount of accident damage of any driver on the grid, Sergio Pérez is certainly at the lower end.

"If I look at the amount of developments compared to some of our rivals we are significantly below that.

"If I look at the quantity of parts that we're bringing, if I look at where we are in the freight, we're probably the sixth or seventh team that brings in terms of freight volumes to a grand prix.

"So, having been through this process [the financial audit], one can never say that you're fully confident.

"But you know, I cannot believe when we look at the statutory accounts of others, and so on, that we are in any way out of kilter with the rest of the field."