Will those responsible for accidents in F1 have to pay for the repairs of others?
Ferrari wants Formula 1 to consider making teams pay for the repairs of other cars if their driver is found guilty of the accident.
The carnage of the first turn of the Hungarian Grand Prix brings new reflections. While Red Bull is calling for a rethinking of the cost cap regulations following the huge damage caused by the accidents in the last two races, Mattia Binotto, the director of the Ferrari team, is proposing a drastic idea. He wants Formula 1 to consider charging teams deemed responsible for accidents for the repairs.
« I think that we can consider that if a driver is responsible, his team should pay at least to the other teams the damages and the repairs. This will make drivers more responsible. »
Between Bottas’ strike and the accident caused by Stroll on Leclerc’s Ferrari in the first turn, the damages are enormous. The Monegasque driver was forced to retire while he had the possibility to earn precious points in the constructor’s standings. Fortunately for the Italian team, Sainz finished third at the end of this completely crazy race.
He specifies, however, that if the team is not responsible, it would have nothing to pay. This subject deserves to open a debate given the extent of the damage during the Hungarian Grand Prix.
It is interesting to discuss in the near future with the other team principals, the FIA and F1. Obviously, if you are not guilty, having such damages in the budget cap is something that brings heavy consequences now.
Red Bull on the same path
This idea also follows the significant bill of 1.8 million dollars that Red Bull had to pay after Verstappen’s accident with Hamilton at the British Grand Prix. This time, it was Bottas who crashed into the two Red Bulls, causing a lot of damage. While Verstappen was able to continue the race at the wheel of the severely damaged car and eventually finish in the points (9th), Perez quickly stopped, and the team fears that his engine may be lost.
Christian Horner, the boss of the Red Bull team, believes above all that it is unfair that his team is once again faced with a budget problem to pay for the damages. Like Binotto, he is calling on the FIA to look into the matter:
« I think this reaffirms that when you have an incident that is not your fault, we pay a high price for it and it is something that is not budgeted. This needs to be examined in more detail by the FIA. »
This could lead the team to not being able to develop the RB16B at the end of the championship.
« Obviously, you have to look at what’s in the ceiling. These are spare parts and engines as well, which is particularly worrying. I think we need to review this with the FIA. This is something that can affect all teams, not just Red Bull.
