UNITED KINGDOM: Red Bull is facing challenges in their 2023 F1 car development due to the penalty imposed by the FIA for their breach of the 2021 Financial Regulations.
The FIA fined Red Bull $7 million after uncovering their overspending during the first year of the budget cap, which limited teams’ performance-relevant expenditures to $145 million.
As a result of the overspending, Red Bull accepted a Minor Overspend Breach of 1.6%, leading to the second-highest financial penalty ever handed out to a team in the sport, as well as a reduction in the wind tunnel and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) time.
According to Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, the penalty is already affecting the car’s overall performance.
Speaking to the media, he said Red Bull is probably down 25% because of the FIA’s imposed penalty on wind tunnel and CFD testing. He added that the punishment was significantly limiting the development.
Horner explained that the number of runs Red Bull could do in its wind tunnel each quarter was severely limited.
He is confident that the team is adapting to the penalties. According to the Red Bull boss, the penalty means the team has to be more focused and disciplined in what they put through the testing process in the wind tunnel and with simulation tools.
Horner added that the penalty is just another challenge for Red Bull and that it is a handicap coming into the 2023 F1 season.
He remains confident that Red Bull has capable people looking to extract the best from the car most efficiently and effectively.
Despite the setback, Horner remains a fan of the new cap era and is confident in his team’s ability to overcome this obstacle.
The challenge posed by the cost cap penalty will test Red Bull’s ingenuity and resourcefulness. Still, with their experienced team of capable individuals, they can overcome the obstacles arising from the penalties and deliver a competitive car for the 2023 season.
Also Read: Early Details on Ferrari and Red Bull Cars for 2023 F1 Season Revealed
