Christian Horner displays his anger against Ferrari and Mercedes in broad daylight

Flashback! This Friday, the Singapore paddock is in turmoil following rumors of a possible overrun of the 2021 capped budget on the part of two teams, with suspicions falling on Aston Martin et Red Bull.

In the heat of the night, tempers heat up, especially within the Ferrari teams and Mercedes. For Laurent Mekies, sports director of the Team, the matter is most serious. “We expect the FIA ​​to manage this situation in an exemplary manner, says the French manager. We have 100% confidence in the FIA ​​which has adopted a very strong position in recent weeks and less on other subjects. Therefore, we expect that for such a serious subject, there will be full transparency and maximum sanctions to ensure we all compete under the same rules, as their impact on car performance is enormous.”

“After that, the subject of sanctions can be the subject of discussions in light of the effect of this excessive spending in 2021, in 2022 and what it will be in 2023, because inevitably, at present and in This stage of the season, there is also an effect on next season. But as I mentioned, the most important thing, what we expect maximum severity and maximum transparency for, is that the budget overrun is confirmed, as well as the rules under which we all have to run. »

Christian Horner assures Red Bull is in good standing

While we are still talking about classified offenses “ minor », in the Mercedes clan we are now talking about a transgression “more procedural” in one case, the other however exceeding “fundamentally and massively” the limit of $145 million set for 2021. “If you spend 5 or 10% more than everyone else, that’s many, many tenths of a second, explains the executive director of the stable to l’Etoile. For example, we couldn't reduce our excess weight this year because we simply didn't have the money to produce the new parts and put them on the car. So you're fighting in a totally different category if you've pushed the limit up. We know there are improvements on the table for this year that we couldn't make. And it's the same for Ferrari from what I understand. »

Christian Horner must defend himself regarding Red Bull's 2021 budget. © Florent Gooden / DPPI

If the Austrian manager is careful not to mention Red Bull, everyone quickly understands that he is referring to the lightweight chassis on which the leading team of the championship is working according to rumors. Chassis which was expected in Singapore, but which ultimately did not make the trip. “Any budget overrun in 2021 has consequences for the 2022 season and even 2023! », concludes Toto.

After this night where the spotlight was focused on the Red Bull team, it is a Christian Horner in full turmoil who comes out of his reserve. Until then, with the haughtiness that characterizes him, he had been content to declare that “our statement was definitely under the ceiling”, but this time there is no time for irony. He is angry. Angry, even. “Unless there is a clear withdrawal of these statements, we are going to take this incredibly seriously and consider the options available to us, threatens the boss of Milton Keynes (UK). It is absolutely unacceptable to make comments like those made yesterday, which are totally defamatory of the team, of the brands we represent, and even of the Formula 1 »

Horner says he is particularly concerned about how his rivals obtained this alleged information about potential breaches of financial regulations. “How on earth can a team know the details of our reporting when the operation is strictly private, he gets carried away at a press conference. How can one team know if another is in violation or not? We don't even know if we are in fact in violation. We won't know until next week, until the process is complete! »

What possible sanctions?

More angry than ever, he now calls for conspiracy while Max Verstappen can be crowned World Champion on Sunday evening. “It’s no coincidence that these allegations come just as Max has his first chance to win the title, he says. Better to talk about the capped budget than the phenomenal performances he achieved this year! Yes, we take umbrage with the remarks that were made. I think this is an underhanded tactic that is employed to distract from a lack of performance on the track. Referring to the past season, the current one and the next one is extremely serious. This is an issue that the FIA ​​must address, while we at Red Bull will consider our position in relation to these comments. »

Right in his boots, Christian Horner also maintains that the team he is responsible for is below the capped budget. “We submitted our accounts in March, and we are absolutely 100% below the ceiling, he proclaims. The FIA ​​has clearly not completed its testing process as it made clear in a statement last night. We therefore look forward to seeing the final outcome of this process, and remain absolutely confident that we have absolutely complied with the cap. » Until then, the lively Briton is sure to have a good night's sleep because, in the event of a proven infraction, the range of sanctions could extend - depending on the seriousness of the facts - from a simple reprimand to pure and simple exclusion from the championship through the withdrawal of points, a drastic reduction in the hours authorized in the wind tunnel or other suspension of Grands Prix.

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