French media: Red Bull, Aston Martin and Mercedes rumoured to have breached 2022 F1 budget cap

In recent days, there has been talk again about the budget cap because, according to some reports, three Formula 1 teams may have exceeded the spending limit set for the 2022 season. In particular, it seems that seven teams have already obtained FIA’s approval on their annual submissions, while further investigations will be required for the remaining three teams.

Some British media had indicated Aston Martin, Alpine, and Mercedes as possible teams that broke the budget cap in the last season. On Sunday, the French newspaper L’Equipe provided a different version. Here are all the details:

Continued issues with the budget cap

According to the French newspaper L’Equipe, the teams that may have exceeded the cost cap for the 2022 Formula 1 season are definitely Aston Martin and Mercedes, which are in the “at-risk zone.” The third team is said to be Red Bull once again, not the French Alpine as reported by British newspapers in recent days.

Regarding the current world champion team, other Formula 1 teams have reportedly sought clarification on Helmut Marko’s exact status. The boss of the Austrian team participates in all races in the Red Bull pit, but he is not one of the top three managers whose salaries are excluded from the $136 million budget cap, so his salary should be part of the budget cap.

Since 2022, Marko is no longer officially responsible for the Red Bull junior program, with Guillaume Rocquelin named as his successor on paper. The eighty-year-old Austrian still has significant influence within the team, but he is not among the top three highest-paid employees, and yet his salary does not appear in the budget report, leading some rivals to request a thorough investigation by the FIA.

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However, Christian Horner doesn’t seem worried. At the end of the Hungarian Grand Prix, he stated to Sky Sport: “Last year, Max damaged a front wing, and Checo had an accident in Monaco. We had limited development, so last year, we were several million under the spending cap, but the costs for the accidents and development are enormous. This year, the biggest handicap is wind tunnel time, which is significantly reduced, so we have to be disciplined. Everyone, every day of the week, talks about the budget cap.” – he pointed out.