Red Bull’s Christian Horner hits back at ‘defamatory’ claims over alleged budget cap breach

SINGAPORE — Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has hit back at claims his team exceeded the budget cap last season, saying such accusations are “extremely defamatory”.

The FIA is due to complete its analysis of the 2021 accounts of all ten teams next week to determine whether their spending fell in line with the financial regulations. Last year the regulations set a budget cap at $145 million, although there has been ongoing discussion between teams and the governing body over exactly which types of expenditure fall under the cap.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said the overspend of two teams, which he did not name, was an “open secret” in the F1 paddock and a “heavyweight” issue for the sport. When asked about Horner’s claim Red Bull did not exceed the cap, he went on to say, “It’s funny that Christian says that, because it’s weeks and months that they are being investigated. … All of us have been investigated diligently and as far as we understand, there’s a team in [a] minor breach which is more procedural and another team that is fundamentally massively over”.

Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies also made reference to two teams exceeding the budget cap, saying, “We regard this as something very serious and expect FIA to manage situation in exemplary fashion”.

Speaking during a news conference at the Singapore Grand Prix, Horner said he expects his rivals to withdraw the statements.

“We were a little bit taken aback by comments that were coming from two of our rival teams yesterday,” Horner said. “The submission between the team and the FIA is one that is confidential. I have no idea what the outcome of our rivals’ submissions are, or the accounting treatment or so on.

“So I would be intrigued to know where their source of information for these fictitious claims have come from. They are hugely defamatory and we take umbrage to them. One can only assume it’s not coincidental that this is at a point where Max has his first strike at a world championship.

“How on earth do they have this information? Where do they have this knowledge? The FIA have even stated they haven’t even completed their process. So unless there is a clear withdrawal of those statements, we will be taking it incredibly seriously and looking at what the options available to us are, because it is absolutely unacceptable to be making comments of the type that were made yesterday, that is totally defamatory to the team, to the brands, and even to F1.

“I would be…