Max Verstappen voices concerns over Red Bull's cost cap

Max Verstappen, Red Bull, FIA, Imola, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

Max Verstappen voices concerns over Red Bull's cost cap

Max Verstappen has voiced concerns over Red Bull

Originally written by Sheona Mountford. This version is a translation.

Monday 19 May 2025 22:00

A huge crash in Imola has prompted Max Verstappen to raise his concerns about Red Bull's cost cap in 2025.

The Dutchman secured his second victory of the season at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, after a sensational overtake on Oscar Piastri on lap one.

Verstappen was also in the hunt for pole position on Saturday, as Red Bull's upgrades finally translated into on-track pace for the champion.

Article continues under video

However, Verstappen's team-mate suffered a huge shunt in Q1, where Yuki Tsunoda spun and his Red Bull car flipped upside down before hitting the barriers.

The incident immediately brought out a red flag, and thankfully Tsunoda was unharmed, given the all-clear after precautionary checks in the medical centre.

“That was a big hit. The most important thing is that he's okay,” he told the media including GPFans.

“But it's a lot of damage. Not ideal with the budget cap, but that's how it goes.”

What is F1's cost cap??

F1’s cost cap was first implemented in 2021 and limits the amount of money a team can spend on its cars over the course of a season.

The cap was introduced to prevent teams with larger budgets from consistently out-pacing smaller teams, in an attempt to level the playing field and emphasise sustainability.

Expenditure under the cost cap includes all parts of the car, the team personnel and garage equipment, all of which would have been stretched following Tsunoda's chassis rebuild.

F1’s current cost cap is set at $140.4 million (£106million) for 2025, and Red Bull were one of the first teams to have been found in a ‘minor’ breach of the rule after the 2021 season.

The team were hit with a $7million fine and a 10 percent reduction in aero testing for the 2023 season as a result of the breach, and in the subsequent seasons have complied with the cost cap.

F1 HEADLINES: McLaren boss spent $250k on lewd letter and Red Bull star warned of sacking

Red Bull Max Verstappen F1 Yuki Tsunoda Imola