Who is the one paying the highest bill for accident-related expenses?

The budget cap is starting to become a headache for all teams this year. After being lowered for the year 2022, going from 140 million dollars to 135 million, many teams are wondering if they will be able to complete the season within the limits. In addition to the costs of developing the cars, there are also track accidents, forcing teams to remake damaged parts and therefore spend even more. This year, which driver has proven to be the most expensive in this exercise?

Mercedes – Hamilton/Russell: 210,000€

So far, it’s been nearly flawless for Mercedes, who can rejoice in not having incurred any major additional expenses related to accidents. The only incident to note is the collision between Lewis Hamilton and Kevin Magnussen at the Spanish Grand Prix, but this only cost Hamilton a floor.

AlphaTauri – Gasly/Tsunoda – 572,000€

Franz Tost can’t really complain about his drivers this year. Points may not be plentiful, but the Franco-Japanese duo is performing at their best in the early stages of the season. Only the incidents involving Pierre Gasly, with no serious consequences for his car, at Imola and Miami have cost them. Yuki Tsunoda, on the other hand, is exempt from any reproach, as he has not caused any expenses for the Italian team so far.

Red Bull – Verstappen/Perez: 700,000€

Renowned for its risk-taking spirit and attraction to extreme sports, Red Bull and F1 have always been quite an explosive combination. But in 2022, the Austrian company has little to worry about in that regard. Only Sergio Perez’s crash during the qualifying session for the Monaco Grand Prix has marred the tally.

Alfa Romeo – Bottas/Zhou: 906,000€

Alfa Romeo has come a long way this year, ranking 5th in the constructors’ standings. Its success can be attributed to a consistently strong performance by Bottas and an effective rookie. Unfortunately for the latter, his crash during the sprint race at Imola weighs more heavily on the balance compared to Bottas’ less serious accident during free practice in Miami.

McLaren – Norris/Ricciardo: €1,027,000.

The English team inflicts itself a penalty fairly distributed between its two drivers, with one accident each. Lando Norris’ collision in Miami is equaled by Daniel Ricciardo’s incident in Monaco. Nevertheless, the team is progressing rapidly, but it would be unfortunate if major crashes were to slow down its comeback.

Ferrari – Leclerc/Sainz: 1,637,000€

Serious competitor for the title in 2022, the Maranello team unfortunately sees many thousands go up in smoke. Carlos Sainz is not experiencing the most prosperous start of the season, and his various accidents do not help his team manage their budget, including a crash at Imola, in Miami, and most recently in Monaco during qualifying (during the super accident with Sergio Perez, editor’s note). As for Charles Leclerc, he stays away from the walls and does not add any extra burden to Ferrari’s accounts.

Aston Martin – Sebastien Vettel/Lance Stroll – 1,727,000€

The start of Aston Martin’s season is not at all what its two drivers expected, with a poorly born AMR22 and unsuccessful upgrades, it is difficult to score points in races. It doesn’t help that the accumulation of small mistakes is paired with the impressive double accident in qualifying in Australia, with both drivers at fault. The total is starting to become very significant, and this money could have been much better invested in the development of the car.

Alpine – Alonso/Ocon: 2,348,000€

Times are tough at Alpine, with average results despite the interesting performance of the A522. The various accidents involving both drivers do not help the French team at all. Esteban Ocon had a spectacular crash at Miami with an impact of 51G, and Alonso had accidents in Australia and most recently in Monaco. Alpine is among the most spendthrift teams in this field.

Williams Racing – Alexander Albon/Nicholas Latifi – 2,620,000€

Last in the constructor standings, and with a very difficult car to drive, it seems that Williams still hasn’t found the solution to get out of its catastrophic situation. Not helping at all, Nicholas Latifi has been involved in numerous costly accidents for the already financially struggling team. With a major crash in Jeddah, and a destroyed car in Australia, the Canadian is accumulating expenses for his team. As for Albon, he only caused a minor bill following his collision with Lance Stroll, once again in Jeddah.

Haas – Kevin Magnussen/Mick Schumacher – €2,950,000.

Indeed, Hass has made impressive progress this year, frequently achieving Q2 or even Q3 and occasionally picking up points. But the contrast between the two drivers is striking. Kevin Magnussen has not incurred unnecessary expenses for his team, whereas Mick Schumacher is responsible for the entirety of his team’s “crash budget,” with a huge accident in Jeddah during qualifying and another one in Monaco during the race. These two major crashes are costing the American team a lot of money and could pose significant problems for Günther Steiner if the accidents continue to accumulate.