17/10/2022
NEWS STORY
Without naming names, McLaren boss, Zak Brown has called on the FIA and F1 to act against those teams that have exceeded the budget cap, insisting that to do so "constitutes cheating".
The American has written a letter to FIA president, Mohammed ben Sulayem and F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali, the original of which was sent on 12 October - two days after the sport's governing body announced the findings of its financial analysis - and subsequently to the five teams (Ferrari, Mercedes, Alpine, Alfa Romeo and Haas) that did not exceed the cap.
A week later and there has been no word from the FIA as to what action is going to be taken, a move which further damages the credibility of the organisation and indeed the sport.
While there has been a furious reaction on social media, there has been nothing since from anyone within the sport, other than a brief statement of denial from Red Bull.
However, as debate continues over what punishment might lay in store for Red Bull, on social media much has been made of Ross Brawn's claim, at the time the budget was introduced, that offenders could be excluded from the championship.
Now, in his letter, Brown, without naming the team(s) concerned, cites the offence for what many see it is, cheating.
"The overspend breach, and possibly the procedural breaches, constitute cheating by offering a significant advantage across technical, sporting and financial regulations," he writes, according to the BBC.
"The FIA has run an extremely thorough, collaborative and open process. We have even been given a one-year dress rehearsal (in 2020), with ample opportunity to seek any clarification if details were unclear. So, there is no reason for any team to now say they are surprised.
"The bottom line is any team who has overspent has gained an unfair advantage both in the current and following year's car development.
"We don't feel a financial penalty alone would be a suitable penalty for an overspend breach or a serious procedural breach. There clearly needs to be a sporting penalty in these instances, as determined by the FIA.
"We suggest that the overspend should be penalised by way of a reduction to the team's cost cap in the year following the ruling, and the penalty should be equal to the overspend plus a further fine - ie an overspend of $2m in 2021, which is identified in 2022, would result in a $4m deduction in 2023 ($2m to offset the overspend plus $2m fine).
"For context, $2m is (a) 25-50% upgrade to (an) annual car-development budget and hence would have a significant positive and long-lasting benefit.
"In addition, we believe there should be minor overspend sporting penalties of a 20% reduction in CFD and wind tunnel time. These should be enforced in the following year, to mitigate against the unfair advantage the team has and will continue to benefit from."
The McLaren boss also proposes changes to the rules.
"To avoid teams accumulating and benefiting from the multiplier effect of several minor overspend breaches, we suggest that a second minor overspend breach automatically moves the team to a major breach," he writes.
"Finally, given the financials involved, a 5% threshold for a minor overspend breach seem far too large of a variance. We suggest a lower threshold, 2.5%, is more appropriate."
Amidst the deafening silence from the FIA, Brown calls for transparency.
"It is paramount that the cost cap continues to be governed in a highly transparent manner, both in terms of the details of any violations and related penalties.
"It will also be important to understand if, after the first full year of running and investigating the scheme, there needs to be further clarity on certain matters or any key learnings. Again, any insights or learnings should be shared across all teams - there can be no room for loopholes."
DEspite the furore, and the ongoing feeling that in all honesty it is virtually impossible to police the budget cap, Brown insists that its introduction was good for the sport.
"The-cost cap introduction has been one of the main reasons we have attracted new shareholders and investors to F1 in recent years, as they see it as a way to drive financial and sporting fair play.
"It is therefore critical that we be very firm on implementing the rules of the cost cap for the integrity and the future of F1."
Over to you, Mohammed.