Explained: When F1 cost cap penalty will finally 'bite’ Red Bull

Red Bull were fined $7million and hit with a 10 per cent reduction in aerodynamic testing for 12 months from October last year after being found guilty of breaching the cost cap limit in 2021. 

The extra handicap so far appears to have barely impacted Red Bull, who after sweeping up both world championships in 2022, look to be even more dominant this season. 

But while marvelling at the sophistication of the RB19’s floor design - which was exposed to the world at the Monaco Grand Prix - Sky Sports F1 pitlane reporter Kravitz explained when Red Bull will start to feel their punishment. 

“The detail on that Red Bull floor, that stuff takes time, and the complexity of that stuff takes many iterations as well,” Kravitz said on his post-qualifying ‘Notebook’ at the Canadian Grand Prix. 

“It’s clear to me now why the upper surfaces and sidepods and all the rest of it on the RB19 are more or less the same as the RB18. 

“That’s because Adrian, Pierre Wache and all the people at Red Bull spent all their time over the winter on the floor. 

“And if you are thinking ‘hang on, what about cost cap and the aerodynamic testing restrictions, the penalty, when is that going to come in?’

“Well Pierre Wache, the technical director, had an answer for me for that on Thursday. 

“He said at the end of the season that cut in aerodynamic testing is going to have an effect and crucially, it’s going to have an effect on next year’s Red Bull RB20. 

“I thought that was really, really interesting.

“So if you are thinking ‘hang on, how come they’ve got the best car?’ It is going to bite Red Bull, just not yet, certainly not before they win this year’s world championship.”