“FIA is a joke,” F1 fans furious over talks of FIA’s ‘accepted breach agreement’ offer to Red Bull
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Red Bull's Helmut Marko, Max Verstappen and Christian Horner during the Hungarian GP weekend (Image through IMAGO / HochZwei)
Red Bull were found to be guilty of a ‘minor overspend breach’ and a ‘procedural breach’ and a decision on their punishment has been hotly awaited. Some even suggest that they (Max Verstappen, specifically) should potentially be stripped of the WDC win in 2021, but that is a very extreme and unlikely scenario. After all, as per the classification, it was only a minor breach (less than 5%).
While this goes on, as per Sky Sports, the FIA has offered terms of an ‘accepted breach agreement’ to Red Bull. What this curtails is that the team will accept their ‘wrongdoing’ and subsequently receive a less severe penalty than usual in the situation. But the team have been adamant, and confident that they are under the budget cap. On their current stance, it’s hard to say what they will do.
Red Bull are definitely not happy with the accusations, and it remains to be seen if they will accept whatever is to come their way. It also came out that the team are planning a press conference with the media. For what exact purpose? We can’t be sure, but it’s likely related to this. While Christian Horner isn’t too happy himself, a lot of fans aren’t happy with talks of the ‘Accepted Breach Agreement’ either.
Also Read: “They try to slow us down in any way,” Max Verstappen defends Red Bull amidst budget cap saga
Some F1 fans called for a severe punishment to Red Bull
2021 was an incredibly closely contested year, with both championships being decided in the last race. While Mercedes won the Constructor’s championship, Max Verstappen won the Driver’s Championship over Lewis Hamilton in controversial fashion. The results, the safety car period, the decisions, and the aftermath are still hotly debated.
Earlier, Toto Wolff claimed that even a minor breach can make a difference in performance. That means, if Red Bull spent the ‘overspend amount’ on upgrades, it would make a difference in their fight against Mercedes, and subsequently in the title battle between Verstappen and Hamilton. So, what some fans propose is them being stripped of the championship, and certainly no ‘accepted breach agreement’.
But others point out that there is atleast some ‘precedent’ towards this. In 2019, with the Ferrari engine controversy, the team had reached a private ‘settlement’ with the FIA. The details of the settlement were never revealed. Their performance drastically decreased in 2020. Whether that is just simply due to inoptimal development, or being handicapped by the fuel flow sensors rule changes is anyone’s guess.
But.
It remains to be seen if Red Bull will accept the ABA, and if they do, what punishment they will get. One thing is sure, if they don’t, they will get a more severe punishment unless they reach another settlement or clarification with the FIA. Fans will be eagerly awaiting the Red Bull press conference to find out what is going to happen.
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Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)