Formula 1 in Austin: With toxic luggage in Cockaigne – Sport

Max Verstappen’s title defense? Wasn’t a big deal anymore, except for the surprising way of counting points. Upcoming Constructors’ Championship for Red Bull Racing at the US Grand Prix? Especially important for the distribution of profits. For three weeks there has only been one topic in Formula 1 that everything revolves around. From Singapore to Suzuka to Austin, rumors that Red Bull broke the cost ceiling last season have become certainty.

However, not from the initially rumored sum of ten million dollars, according to the auditors, the violation is below the five percent tolerance. Which would still be a maximum of 7.25 million dollars, and thus a huge advantage. Accordingly, the competition was already foaming about the financial doping: Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff called the misconduct “steroids on wheels”, McLaren team boss Zak Brown followed up in a fire letter, spoke of “fraud” and sees the Fia International Automobile Association as a duty, quickly and to judge harshly, it’s ultimately about the integrity of Formula 1.

With this toxic baggage, the Grand Prix circus traveled to Texas, the new Formula 1 paradise. With well over 400,000 visitors over the weekend, a new attendance record is to be set in Austin. The feared image damage from the discussions and the allegations about it budget cap obviously doesn’t interest the general public, but stable rules of reason and equality will help determine the success of the series in the future.

On Saturday morning, the rumors of severe penalties or a compromise in the Red Bull case were balanced after talk rounds that had been announced and canceled several times, Burke Magnus was the first to sit on the podium. The head of the sports broadcaster ESPN announced a three-year extension of the television contract for North America. He has no fear that the major legal battle could damage his product. On the contrary: “The recipe for success is always tough competition and a bit of drama, from which a controversy develops.”

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner is unusually defensive during a panel discussion

A good hour and a half later, Christian Horner, the Red Bull team boss, is sitting on the podium at the Circuit of the Americas. Less aggressive than usual, and not the least bit cynical. As if he had eaten chalk and a lawyer had dictated his choice of words. Although his company was the only one to have been found guilty of exceeding the limit, the Brit is “very sure” that he did not take any technical or sporting advantage from exceeding the budget. He uses the word “categorical” several times in his negation.

Horner is a do-gooder and finds the public accusations from the competition not only disappointing but “absolutely shocking”. The others would not know the facts: “But we are still openly before the court.” One can hardly imagine how much damage that would cause to the brand, to the drivers, to the workforce: “Children are teased by employees on the playground. That’s abuse, that has to stop.” Sitting next to him, Zak Brown remains calm, perhaps just amazed at Horner’s sudden propensity for compassion. He didn’t mention any names and only spoke in the subjunctive. Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto, who was also invited to the round, had canceled at short notice because he did not feel well.

Horner’s mindful script doesn’t delve further into the numbers and the interpretations of exactly where Red Bull, unlike any other competitor, failed by the rules of not spending more than $148.6 million in a race year. It is rumored to be about the expenses for canteen food, for employees being released from work and for entertaining guests at the racetrack. According to Horner’s reading, it’s a matter of interpretation, the financial rule book with its 52 pages is also enormously complicated and everyone still has to learn. Everyone else agrees, but an exception cannot be made right at the beginning – then budget control would be deprived of its basis. They want leaders Red Bull to be severely, or even better, draconically punished. It is about the credibility of law and order.

Fines, point deductions, bans or budget cuts are possible for Red Bull

The catalog of penalties is negotiable for minor violations, i.e. below the 7.25 million limit. That’s why Mohammed bin Sulayem, the still fresh regent of the world automotive association Fia, is in Austin. There are many meetings with the sinners, in principle there are fines, point deductions, bans, budget cuts for the future to choose from. The team may lose 25 percent of the wind tunnel hours, a competitive disadvantage that sounds crass at first. Financial rules say such deals can remain behind closed doors if the suspects wish. But meanwhile the pressure built up by the rivals is so great that a backroom policy, as was often the case in the racing business, would only cause the really big image damage for Formula 1. That may also have been the reason why the competitors had pierced Red Bull’s offense so early.

You don’t have to worry about that, said the jovial Horner. Should it be the so-called breach agreement come, he will explain exactly the position of his racing team: “We don’t want private agreements, we want transparency.” The agreement means that a defendant accepts the sentence without any ifs or buts, and the case is then closed. If Red Bull Racing were to plead guilty, Horner said, “then it’s in the interest of the sport.” But he still doesn’t really qualify as a martyr. With the desired quick solution, if possible this weekend, he puts the pressure back on the side of the officials. Because without an agreement, the case would go before a financial appeals court. “It can easily take six or nine months,” calculates the team boss.

The threat should work. Not officially confirming the world champion from December 2021 until summer 2023 would actually be the greatest possible damage. Not for Red Bull, but actually for Formula 1 as a whole.