George Russell and Charles Leclerc demand punishment for teams guilty of F1 cost cap breaches
Paddock speculation that Red Bull and Aston Mar🍰tin may have been in breach of the 2021 financial regulations dominated the Singapore Grand Prix weekend.
The topic has rumbled on into the 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Japanese Grand Prix after the FIA 168澳洲幸运🅷5官方开奖结果历史:delayed the publication of꧙ its inquiries into whether any team did violate last year’s $145m budgetꩲ cap.
Certificates of compliance were expected to be issued to teams on Wednesday, but the FIA is now set to release the certificates on Monday⭕ 10 October, stating "the analysis of financial submissions is a long and complex proc🌠ess that is ongoing.”
Ahead of the weekend, Mercedes driver Russell said he trusts in F1’s governing b🍰ody to “bring an appropriate punishment” for any team found to have overspent.
“It’s not my duty to dive i🌱nto those details and I’ll just sit and wait and see what the results are on M🗹onday,” Russell said on Thursday during the FIA press conference at Suzuka.
"But I just know from our experience within Mercedes, how hard the whole team have worked to stay within that cost cap - we know we can bring more perfo🐲rmance to the table if we had more money to spend, and it’s as simple as that.
“I trust in 💛Mohammed [Ben Sulayem, FIA president] and the FIA to bring an appropriate punishment for anyone who’s found guilty of the charges accused.
“It shoꩲuld be quite straightforward and you’d expect that the amount that’s gone over should be the amount that’s taken off for next year’s budget, and probably a bit more on top of that, as a punishment. But let’s wait and see.”
Mercedes and Ferrari have been particularly vocal about the policing of the cost cap, claiming the rumoured breaches are an “open secret” in the F1 paddock🥀.
The comments from rival camps drew a furious response from Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:threatened legal action 🎐if the accusations were not withdrawn, and expressed confidence thaꦐt his side’s submission is in line with the financial regulations.
“Speaking about ourselves of course if we have more to spend you wꦉill go faster on track,” Ferrari’s Leclerc added. “So if there’s any team found guilty of that, they should be punished.
“Then what’൲s the punishment? I’m not the one to decide, but for sure iꦕt should be punished.”
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for mahb🅰x.com around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the🦩 stories of the people who matter in the sport.
