Two F1 engine manufacturers fined by FIA for breaching cost cap

Honda and Alpine have entered into “accepted breach agreements” of the Power Unit Financial Regulations, the FIA have announced.

Honda must pay $600,000 and Alpine must cough up $400,000 for the rule break.

An FIA statement read: “Cost Cap Administration recognised that both PUMs have acted cooperatively and in good faith throughout the review process and have sought to provide additional information and evidence when requested in a timely manner, that this is the first year of the full application of the Power Unit Financial Regulations and that there is no accusation or evidence that either Alpine or HRC has sought or obtained any undue advantage as a result of the breach.”

Honda currently supply engines to Red Bull and its sister team RB, while Alpine provides engines for its own factory team.

The Power Unit Financial Regulations are effectively a cost cap for the engine manufacturers, looking ahead to 2026 when the regulations will change.

It sits outside of the cost cap that F1 teams must comply with.

The Accepted Breach Agreement for both Honda and Alpine confirmed: "2023 is the first year of application of the Power Unit Financial Regulations, which are a complex set of rules that the Power Unit Manufacturers were required to adapt to.

"There is no accusation or evidence that [Honda or Alpine] sought at any time to act in bad faith, dishonestly or in a fraudulent manner, nor that it wilfully concealed any information from the Cost Cap Administration."

Honda submitted documents with "incorrect excluded and/or adjusted costs in the calculation of its relevant costs", the FIA stated.

The FIA found "significant deficiencies" with documents submitted by Alpine. 

"Several required procedures had not been performed at all, and several other procedures had only been partially completed," the FIA stated about Alpine.