Red Bull and Mercedes demands $5m budget cap raise for 2022 Formula 1 sprint races

Red Bull and Mercedes demands $5m budget cap raise for 2022 Formula 1 sprint races

F1

The 2021 Formula one season was made more exciting as they introduced new format for qualifying, the sprint races. Formula 1 tried out 3 successful Saturday sprint races in 2021. The highlight of 2021 sprint races was  Lewis Hamilton’s outstanding 15 places rise  in the shortened version of race in Interlagos , after Lewis Hamilton was  disqualified from qualifying for a rear wing technical infringement on his Mercedes.  

Formula 1 is in its way to schedule 6 sprint races in upcoming 2022 season, with the specific rounds yet to be disclosed. The 2022 season  Formula 1’s budget cap will reduce by $5 million to a total of $140m from $145m budget in 2021. Now reports from Italy’s ‘Corriere dello Sport’ suggests that the front runners of 2021 Formula 1 season champion Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes want more budget allocated.

The report claims that Red Bull and Mercedes demanding for  for extra resources to account for any potential damage caused in the six qualifying sprint races, run at one-third of a race distance, proposed for 2022. ‘Motorsport.com’ previously reported that  Formula 1 teams have been offered an extra $500,000 to cover the costs due to sprint race damage, which the teams declined as they find it too far below their expectations.

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Find out what McLaren boss Zak Brown had to say about Formula 1 teams lobbying for increased budget cap to accommodate sprint race expenses

Zak Brown
Zak Brown

Zak Brown alleges that some Formula 1 teams are trying to raise the budget gap to win championship with their deep pockets using the Albie of sprint race damage. Zak Brown added that the sprint races were added to increase the Formula 1 fanbase globally. Zak Brown went on to say that the teams are lobbying for inordinate amount of budget because they want to keep the competitive advantage they have with the finances even though the damages cost due to sprint races is found to very low.

“Some teams still look for excuses to raise the cost cap and win World Championships with chequebooks,” Zak Brown wrote in a pre-season column on McLaren’s website.

“The ongoing lobbying by certain teams to increase the cost cap for sprint race damage is a continuing example. The Saturday sprint race initiative by Formula 1 has added new viewers and raised the profile of the sport to expand its global fanbase,” Zak Brown explained.

“However, these teams continue to demand a raise to the cost cap by an inordinate amount of money, despite the clear evidence that little damage was incurred during these races last year, in a thinly veiled attempt to protect from their competitive advantage being eroded,” Zak Brown added.

Also read: Mercedes chief James Allison fires warning of ‘painful year’ ahead of rivals