McLaren’s Brown says budget cap breach amounts to cheating
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Formula One teams who spend more than allowed by the rules are effectively cheating and should face stiff sporting and financial penalties, McLaren boss Zak Brown has told the governing FIA.
The BBC reported details of the leaked letter on Monday and McLaren confirmed they were correct.
Championship leaders Red Bull, who won the drivers’ title last year and this with Max Verstappen, breached the $145 million cap in 2021.
The FIA said on Oct. 10 that it was a ‘minor overspend’, or less than 5% of the overall cap, but gave no details of how much was involved. Red Bull have said their submission was below the cost cap limit.
Brown did not directly name Red Bull or Aston Martin, who were deemed to have committed a procedural breach, in the letter dated Oct. 12 with copies sent to those other teams who complied with the financial regulations.
“The overspend breach, and possibly the procedural breaches, constitute cheating by offering a significant advantage across technical, sporting and financial regulations,” he wrote. “The bottom line is any team who has overspent has gained an unfair advantage both in the current and following year’s car development.
