Fred Vasseur demands harsher cost cap penalties, calls Red Bull’s punishment a ‘JOKE’

According to the FIA, Red Bull's catering budget amounts for almost all of their cost cap breach.

Fred Vasseur demands harsher cost cap penalties, calls Red Bull’s punishment a ‘JOKE’

Fred Vasseur (Credits: TheSportsRush)

Red Bull is currently serving a penalty for breaching the cost cap in 2021. They were fined seven million dollars and a reduction in wind tunnel testing time by ten percent. Despite these penalties, Red Bull has dominated the sport with no other team remotely close to them. Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur has recently taken aim at FIA as he believes the ‘lenient’ penalty to Red Bull invites more cost cap breaches in the future.

Even though Red Bull was just a minor $500,000 above their budget, their rivals have not been going easy on them regarding their punishment. Fred Vasseur believes that the penalty on Red Bull should’ve had more effect on their sporting arena rather than just a simple fine. He called the reduction in wind tunnel time a ‘joke’, saying that Red Bull completed most of their work by then.

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” ..such a penalty should be much heavier. You have to keep in mind that a technical advantage will translate into a sporting advantage. Therefore, the penalty should be sporting and not a fine. The deduction of 10 per cent wind tunnel time is a big joke,” Vasseur told La Gazzetta Dello Sport.

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Fred Vasseur calls Charles Leclerc ‘impulsive’ in his assessment of the first half of the season

Charles Leclerc and Fred Vasseur
Charles Leclerc and Fred Vasseur (Credits: F1)

Charles Leclerc has been seen lashing out at his team several times this season. From the miscommunication in Jeddah to his Q2 exit in Montreal, Leclerc has lost his cool several times as the frustrated Monegasque has seen the championship slip away from him this season. Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur gave an honest assessment of his performance so far as he called Leclerc ‘impulsive.’

Vasseur said that compared to Leclerc, Carlos Sainz has been much more composed and consistent throughout the season. Vasseur also said that Leclerc’s pace is also falling behind Sainz, as the Spaniard has been getting much closer to him in qualifying.

“As a character Leclerc is impulsive, if something doesn’t go well he doesn’t hold back. However, for his own good and that of the team, sometimes it’s better to calm down before speaking… Carlos is very consistent and for this reason he’s a good reference for us,” said Vasseur.

Vasseur is known to side with Leclerc more than Sainz. But as the season progresses, Sainz has repeatedly displayed his capabilities as he is behind Leclerc by just seven points in the WDC standings. With just ten races remaining, it will be interesting to see which of the two comes on top, with both drivers trying to cement their place with Ferrari.

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