Boats and bicycles scrutinised in new cost cap worry for Mercedes and Red Bull

Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and Aston Martin are the four teams currently being investigated by the FIA, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The production of boats, bicycles and road cars by those teams have created the possibility that they could use a loophole in the cost cap rules.

The FIA are investigating whether the four teams are deploying their staff to work on non-F1 projects, so they do not count towards the budget cap, but still benefiting from their learnings in the world of Formula 1.

For example, Mercedes and Red Bull are both involved in competing in the America’s Cup, the world’s biggest sailing competition.

James Allison, Mercedes’ technical director, previously worked on the sailing project.

Ferrari, meanwhile, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

None of the staff involved in those projects count within the F1 cost cap.

The FIA are now digging deeper to understand if all rules have been followed.

Red Bull, the constructors’ champions, notoriously broke the 2021 budget cap which has cost them a $7m fine plus a 10 percent reduction in wind tunnel time this season.