“There was information released beforehand,” Helmut Marko makes bombshell claim about FIA’s data leakage

“There was information released beforehand,” Helmut Marko makes bombshell claim about FIA’s data leakage

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko

Helmut Marko has pointed fingers at the Mercedes F1 team and feels, that they were aware of Red Bull’s 2021 budget cap breach before the FIA released the details about it.

Helmut Marko ardently feels that former Mercedes employee and current Autosport Secretary General, Shaila-Ann Rao was the one behind helping the Brackley-based team in getting information about Red Bull’s breach.

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Moreover, while stressing on Rao’s relations with Mercedes, Marko added, “There was information released beforehand which we did not have, which actually only one team had.”

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“It is strange: a Mercedes employee moved to the FIA, worked on these documents for the cost cap at Mercedes, and was then responsible for checking them at the FIA.“

FIA
FIA

“In our opinion, there is certainly a compliance violation or at least an indication of compliance violations. The whole thing does not make a good impression.”

Helmut Marko is extremely skeptical about the whole situation and believes that it is just not right for a previous Mercedes employee to be checking the 2021 budget cap reports.

Red Bull was penalized with a fine of $7 million for its 2021 budget cap breach by the FIA

Red Bull F1
Red Bull

While the whole saga has become old news by now, Red Bull’s world was turned upside down when the FIA released its 2021 budget cap report and found the Austrian team in breach of the budget cap.

Moreover, a massive fine of $7 million fine was slapped on the team, but what is going to hurt them, the most is the reduction in the wind tunnel time going ahead into next season.

Wind tunnels form a key part of an F1 car’s development and now, with that cut short, the team would have to be on its toes throughout the next season and make the most of the time that they would get.

Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen

The current campaign has proved to be a successful one for the Red Bull team with both the Championships in its pocket, but considering the new learnings that every team has amassed this year and the reduction in Red Bull’s wind tunnel time, 2023 is not going to be a walk in the park for the Milton-Keynes based team.