F1 News: Have Mercedes found a way to cheat the Cost Cap?

F1 teams are bound by a cost cap, and they must be selective in how many upgrades they bring in a season for the risk of going over their cost cap and being penalized. However, many suspect Mercedes has found a way to cheat the cost cap by secretly taking costs off the books.

The Brackley-based squad enjoyed a strong 3rd and 4th in the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend, and they plan on bringing far more upgrades throughout the year than its rivals.

“The changes we have made are making this car a better car and that will be true at every circuit we go to,” Mercedes Technical Director James Allison said in the Canadian GP Race Debrief.

“The characteristics of Montreal make it look a little quicker than we have a natural right to command at the coming races. In Barcelona, I think it more likely that we will be competitive, but not right at the front because the next tracks are a little bit of a sterner test of a car. Hot asphalt, wider cornering speeds.

“However, I also know what we have got coming. I also know what we are planning to further improve the car.

“Our challenge is just to keep those upgrades arriving at a pace that the others cannot keep up with and in doing that, just bullying our car to the front by virtue of the effort made by everybody here over the coming weeks and months to get the car so that it can have its Montreal weekend or better at any track that we face in the future.”

How is this possible without cheating the cost cap?

“I think we have broadened it [the window] substantially,” he insisted.

“There is more we still need to do, and we will know for sure when we go to the next track, which is Barcelona, because there is really a very substantial range of cornering conditions.

“There is also a much hotter track, and so that will be quite a stern test of a vehicle.”