Not everyone in the Formula 1 paddock believes that the budget cap can be reliably monitored – McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl sees no problems
The 2021 season saw a novelty in Formula 1. For the first time, all teams in the premier class were obliged to adhere to a budget cap. Last year, the racing teams were allowed to spend a maximum of 145 million US dollars – but with numerous exceptions and some points of contention.
Among other things, there is currently a debate about whether the additional sprint races in 2022 should result in a higher budget cap. Other big questions also include how offences should be punished in the future and whether the FIA’s monitoring of the complex rules will work at all.
“If the budget cap can be monitored safely and equally for everyone, I have no problem with it. But I still see some grey areas there, and that worries me,” said Red Bull’s Adrian Newey, for example, in an interview with ‘auto motor und sport’ last year.
“I’m very happy with the whole process,” McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl clarifies, however. He sees “no red flags”, i.e. no possibilities for the teams to circumvent the regulations. Also with regard to the sanctions, he declares: “I have full confidence in the system and the FIA. “
Background: Already last year, several teams spoke out against sporting penalties for breaches of Formula 1’s new financial regulations. This means that offences could be punished with fines, for example, but not with points deductions or even a World Championship exclusion.
Seidl explains that he assumes that there will be the “right punishment” for appropriate offences – whatever that would be. “It’s no secret that we are big supporters of these rules,” Seidl reminds us of McLaren’s stance on the budget cap in Formula 1.
And after the first year, they seem to be satisfied in Woking. In any case, Seidl is “very, very confident” that the new rules will level the field “in terms of budget”. In return, there are now once again a few more points of contention …
