FIA fired 'game over' warning as Ferrari chief weighs in on Red Bull investigation

Ferrari racing director Laurent Mekies has fired a warning to the FIA - delivering his say on the investigation surrounding allegations that Red Bull exceeded their budget cap for 2021. A

cap of £114 million was implemented at the beginning of last year by the Formula 1 bosses, and this was reduced by £4.4m in 2022.

Ahead of last week’s Singapore Grand Prix, reports seemed to suggest that both Red Bull and Aston Martin had breached the regulations last term and may face punishment from the FIA. Red Bull

boss Christian Horner has vehemently defended his team revealing he was not aware of any breaches, while Aston Martin have firmly denied the allegations too.

Horner told Sky Sports: “I’m not aware of any [breaches]. Accounts were submitted way back in March so it’s been a long process with the FIA. We’re in that process as we speak. They’re

rightly following that process and I think next week is when they declare their certificates.

“So, I think… certainly our submission was below the cap and it’s down to the FIA to follow the process, which they’re currently doing.” His Ferrari counterpart Mekies has now had his say,

admitting that it could well be ‘game over’ for the FIA if they fail to implement the correct sanctions - whether that be too lenient or too harsh - against those who breached regulations.

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He said, as quoted by GPFans: “It is a very vital test for the cost cap. If we don't pass that test then it is probably game over because the implications are huge… I know it [potential

penalties] are what the people in the grandstands want [to hear]. I respect that.

“"But we are much earlier in the process than that and probably an even more key aspect of it - is there a breach? What is crucial is that the FIA fully enforce the rules as they are written

now and then after, the penalties are a different matter."

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It has since been reported by the Daily Mail that the Milton Keynes-based team had allegedly only committed a minor breach of the spending cap. As per the report, one source said the alleged

breach could be ‘as little as a million or so, perhaps even less, and is no more than a "procedural breach".’

The full report regarding the spending cap is set to be released by the sport’s governing body on Wednesday.

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