F1: FIA needs to refine Cost Cap penalties

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has demanded F1 “refines” the rules after Red Bull’s budget cap penalty. Steiner admitted the governing body needed to “work on that regulation” and provide better clarity as to what the penalties will be if you breach the cost cap.

For the 2022 season, the F1 cost cap was $140-million. The cost cap will fall to $135-million from the 2023 season onwards, adjusted for inflation. The cost cap can increase if F1 decides to add extra races, e.g., anything outside the 21 race calendar can lead to an increase.

2023 will have 24 races, 23 if China is cancelled due to Covid.

Steiner said: “I think financially, the cost cap worked. The teams are closer together, all the teams have scored points this year. There are two battles going on still, at the end of the season, when the World Championship has been decided, between fourth and fifth and eighth and ninth at the moment.

“So I think on that side, it worked. Obviously, as we saw, with the breach of the budget cap, we need to do some refinement, work on that regulation, penalties and so on, but it’s a completely new concept, and we can’t expect it to be too perfect the first time.”