Ferrari warn 'credibility of F1 is at stake" amid Red Bull breach of spending limit

Ferrari warn ‘credibility of F1 is at stake” amid Red Bull breach of spending limit. Ferrari warn 'credibility of F1 is at stake" .

There seems to be no end to the recent statements made by team principals and top executives of various Formula 1 teams regarding the case of the moment: Red Bull’s possible exceeding of the budget cap in the 2021 F1 season. The certainty about the rumors circulating in the paddock and targeting the Milton Keynes team and – apparently to a lesser extent – Aston Martin will only be confirmed on Wednesday next week, when the FIA will provide all the official documents regarding this thorny affair. In the meantime, however, it is normal that all the teams are moving to protect their interests and try to exert a certain influence on the Federation, invoking in almost all cases severe penalties against those who have been caught not respecting the rules.

Interviewed by Sky Sport F1 a few minutes before the start of qualifying in Singapore, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto was very clear on the subject, underlining how the Maranello team, to be sure not to break the budget cap rules, decided to keep a certain margin of safety. “For now, what we hear is just speculation. We have to wait for Wednesday, when we will understand more. The budget cap in the regulation defines a tool that must make sport fair and equal – recalled Mattia Binotto – and we made an incredible effort to stay inside the limit last year. We have limited developments and have also taken a margin. This is because we knew it was the first year and it wasn’t going to be easy. We interacted continuously with the Federation, without waiting for the end of the year” – the Ferrari boss pointed out.

“Today there is a delay on the final report of the FIA - added the manager of the Maranello team – and this suggests that there are still ongoing discussions. From this speculations arise. This story has implications for the past, present and future championship.” – he added.

Finally, Mattia Binotto reiterated that, even if the violations ascertained were ‘minor’, and therefore less than 5% of the ‘cap’ (7.5 million dollars), it would still be a serious matter, which should be severely punished. “Even if there was a violation of ‘only’ 4 million, that figure is by no means less in terms of implications. For us that figure is the entire development of a season. They mean 70 people in a technical office who can think and find solutions. It means having half a second of advantage. The credibility of Formula 1 is at stake. I expect the FIA to be able to identify whether or not there have been any misconduct.” – Scuderia Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto concluded.