Cost cap saga “might not end up as a penalty” as Red Bull work on 2024 car
As Max Verstappen was sealing his second consecutive F1 championship last year, Red Bull were punished for exceeding the 2021 cost cap and hit with a $7m fine and, crucially, a 10 percent reduction in wind tunnel time for this season.
But such was their momentum from last season into 2023, they have won every grand prix so far and have already turned their attention to developing their 2024 car.
Sky’s Kravitz explained: “[Red Bull team principal Christian] Horner said ‘we are already designing, and spending our time, on next year’s car, the RB20’.
“They have already got the advantage with this year’s car. We aren’t even at half-way in the season.
“Already, they can have the capacity and the aerodynamic testing time and the wind tunnel time - even considering the penalty for the cost cap - to concentrate on next year’s car.
“So it’s a virtuous circle, having such a good car this year.
“It might end up that the cost cap breach agreement, the penalty of 10 percent less wind tunnel time, might not end up as a penalty at all.
“Because if they can start now on next year’s car, it won’t be a penalty at all, is it?
“So all that hullabaloo at the end of last year? It looks like it won’t affect Red Bull at all.”
Verstappen won the F1 Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, cruising clear of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.
He is 69 points clear at the top of the F1 standings with his teammate Sergio Perez chasing him.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
