Domenicali calls for heavier sporting sanctions in the event of budgetary overruns
After the sanctions imposed on Red Bull for the 2021 season, Stefano Domenicali wishes to see sanctions that are more focused on the sporting aspect rather than financial ones against teams in the future.
Budget overruns have been penalized since the 2021 season with the introduction of a financial regulation. In 2021, the Red Bull team exceeded the budget cap established by the FIA and was heavily fined 7 million euros and had their wind tunnel time reduced. This sanction was deemed too lenient by the directors of other teams who wanted more significant sporting penalties.
« I think it wasn’t a penalty. It was very minor. If you consider that overall, we will gain a little less than a second over the season in terms of aerodynamics, receiving a penalty of 10% is like losing one-tenth,” stated Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur.
The boss of Formula 1, Stefano Domenicali, wants the FIA to review the regulations concerning the sanctions imposed when exceeding the budget cap.
The FIA is currently studying the teams’ reports for the 2022 season. « I would like the penalty to be sporting in case of an offense, it is something we have clearly asked for. There are three rules to be respected: sporting, technical, and financial. Any offense must be penalized with sporting measures. You cannot go in other directions » said Stefano Domenicali in an interview with Autosport.
In addition to a reduction in aerodynamic testing, a sporting sanction could also result in the deduction of points for the constructors’ standings, a suspension of session(s) during one or more Grand Prix events may be considered to penalize teams, or alternatively, the implementation of additional reduction in aerodynamic testing or an increased reduction in the budget cap.
But to see the sanctions, Formula 1 is forced to wait for investigations conducted by the FIA. F1 hopes for quick investigation results. The cost cap of Formula 1 is governed by the financial regulations of the FIA, which stipulate the sanctions that can be imposed in case of non-compliance. Control is in the hands of the FIA. Personally, what I have asked for is to anticipate the publication of the investigations carried out by the FIA staff as soon as possible, continued the F1 director.
