Red Bull yet to see true impact of now-expired F1 cost cap penalty

After admitting a ‘minor’ breach of the $145m spending limit set during Max Verstappen’s maiden title-winning campaign, Red Bull were handed a $7m fine and a 10 percent reduction in wind tunnel time for a 12-month period in October last year. 

With the penalty having expired on October 26, Red Bull can now return to their full allocation of aerodynamic testing. This comes as bad news for their rivals given Red Bull’s dominance in 2023. 

The Milton Keynes squad have successfully defended both world championships and won 17 of the 18 races to have taken place so far this campaign. 

Red Bull’s penalty was branded as not strong enough by Ferrari earlier this year but Horner has once again stressed that his side are yet to feel the full brunt of their punishment. 

“Well certainly, we’ve not seen the full impact yet because it obviously has compromised the amount of development that we’ve been able to do this year,” the Red Bull team principal explained at the Mexico City Grand Prix. 

“Thankfully, we came out with a very strong car at the beginning of the year and we’ve been able to apply most of the development time from quite early in the season to next year’s car. So that’s been important.”

F1’s governing body revealed that all 10 F1 teams had complied with the 2022 cost cap - set at $135m - in September as the sport evaded a repeat of the previous year’s saga. 

Horner likened the FIA’s review process to subjecting all the teams to a “full colonoscopy”. 

“The process of the cost cap is evolving, it’s a very complex set of regulations that have evolved,” he said. 

“The degree of scrutiny this year was phenomenal in terms of the rigour that the FIA went to. It was a full colonoscopy that we experienced during the summer. 

“And I think that the FIA are learning as well from their side and the rules have evolved. Of course every company is structured in a slightly different way as well, which adds to the complexity. 

“So that has a bearing as well. It’s a very complex set of regs and I think the FIA have actually done a pretty decent job of what we’ve seen over the last 12 months.”