Red Bull found guilty of committing ‘minor’ breach of F1 budget cap in 2021 – the year Max Verstappen won title

Red Bull committed a “minor” breach of the F1 budget cap in the 2021 season, with the FIA, the sport’s governing body, now determining what action will be taken.

Red Bull, along with Aston Martin, were also found to have committed a procedural breach – failing to fill in forms correctly. The FIA confirmed the other nine teams were under the 2021 $145m (£114m) cost cap.

A minor overspend means Red Bull exceeded the budget by less than 5%.

The breach carries a range of potential sanctions, from a public reprimand to a points deduction.

“The FIA Cost Cap Administration is currently determining the appropriate course of action to be taken under the Financial Regulations with respect to Aston Martin and Red Bull and further information will be communicated in compliance with the Regulations,” read an FIA statement.

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff had previously branded any excess spending a “heavyweight issue”.

The FIA has not revealed the amount by which Red Bull exceeded the cap or what punishment would be applied.

A statement added: “With respect to this first year of the application of the financial regulations, the intervention of the FIA cost-cap administration has been limited to reviewing the submissions made by the competitors and that no full formal investigations were launched.”

Red Bull and Aston Martin could appeal against the decision.

“What I can say is I remember last year in Silverstone we had our last upgrade and fortunately it was great and we could fight with it,” said Hamilton.

“But then we would see Red Bull every weekend or every other weekend bringing upgrades. They had, I think, at least four more upgrades from that point.

“If we spent £300,000 on a new floor, or adapted a wing, it would have changed the outcome of the championship naturally because we would have been in better competition in the next race if you add it on.

“So, I hope that that’s not the case. I do believe Mohammed [Ben Sulayem, FIA president] and the FIA will do what is right with whatever they find out.”

Verstappen won the 2021 title by just eight points from Hamilton, a victory only possible after the late, late safety car drama in Abu Dhabi.

“The submissions between the team and the FIA is confidential, and I have no idea what the outcome of our rivals’ submission is so I would be intrigued to know where their source of information for these fictitious claims has come from.

“They are hugely defamatory, and one can only assume that it is not a coincidence that this comes at a point where Max has his first strike at a world championship.

“We are here talking about cost caps rather than the phenomenal performance Max has had this year. It is an under-hand tactic employed to detract from perhaps a lack of performance on track from our rivals.

“The FIA has stated that they have not completed their process, so unless there is a clear withdrawal of those statements, we will be taking it extremely seriously.”