New Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur asks for stricter punishments for future F1 cost cap breaches

As the results of the financial review came out, Red Bull were found guilty of breaching the budget cap for the 2021 season. The breach amounted to 1.6% over the $145 million budget cap, and 0.37% without an accounting error committed by the team. For this, they were fined $7 million and had their 2023 wind tunnel time reduced by 10%. Some had hoped for a harsher punishment. Ferrari technical director Laurent Mekies was among that pack.

This will certainly hurt them – but there’s an argument there that the reputational damage is more significant. The aerodynamic penalty in particular is a small boost to Mercedes and Ferrari, who hope to catch Red Bull. Due to said penalty, Christian Horner and co. will have to be more cautious with their development choices. Every risk will just be a little more…riskier.

Frederic Vasseur, who will take over as Ferrari boss for the upcoming season, will be in direct competition with Red Bull. In an interview with Motorsport.com from before the move to Maranello transpired, the Frenchman expressed a similar view to that of Mekies. He also felt that the results and decisions came too late: “Where we have to work today, firstly, it was far too long. We need to find a way to have a red light before, or to be able to take action much earlier. And we have to probably be a bit more strict on the decision.“

Related: Frederic Vasseur Net Worth, F1 salary, Wife and more

Frederic Vasseur: ‘Two or three million’ not a minor breach

Frederic Vasseur wants quicker and stricter action, but he is aware that this was only the first time the audit actually happened. 2021 was the first season with a cost cap enforced. While the Frenchman acknowledges that, he also wants the distinctions between minor and major breaches to disappear: “OK, perhaps this was the first one, but from now we have to forget about minor and major. Because for me, two or three million, it’s not minor, it’s mega, for development. “

A ‘minor overspend breach’ is defined as a breach that is not any more than 5% over the cost cap. On the other hand, if you go over that 5 percent, it’s defined as a ‘material overspend breach’, which will carry bigger penalties – disqualifications included. In any case, Vasseur wants stricter punishments for any future breaches: “I think we have to be much more strict and much more quick on the action.”

There may be an interesting twist in the tale. Back in 2022, after Red Bull had already been found in breach of the cost cap, Christian Horner had come out and said that six teams may be in breach of the cap [for 2022]. Many teams, including McLaren and Ferrari, had threatened that they could breach the budget cap – Horner had even said teams may miss races. That did not happen. But it’s interesting to wonder what the consequence of multiple breaches could be – would the punishments be lighter?

In case you missed it:

• “A very good move”: Frederic Vasseur’s former F3 colleague Van der Garde believes Ferrari hit the jackpot by hiring the Frenchman
• Frederic Vasseur ‘secretly’ visited Ferrari factory before Christmas – Reports

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