Former Formula 1 driver and Toro Rosso, Gerhard Berger, does not think speculation over who might have broken the financial regulations is a worthwhile discussion.
Red Bull and Aston Martin were mentioned in a report last week that indicated that two teams had gone over the budget cap in 2021.
Agreed upon in 2019, a limit of $145 million was imposed on the teams for the first time last season, and that total included development damage repairs, freight and more.
Williams were fined for a procedural breach earlier on in 2022 when they submitted their paperwork late, and the FIA have been examining everyone’s expenditure since then.
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It has taken until nearly the end of this year for the calculations to be made, and for a decision to be reached as to whether anyone has broken the rules.
The FIA were scheduled to publish everyone’s results on Wednesday, but they had not yet completed the audit, so that got pushed back to Monday.
Red Bull boss, Christian Horner, was livid at the accusations made against the Austrian side last weekend in Singapore, after Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, hinted that Red Bull had gone over by more than five percent.
The Austrian also claimed that Red Bull have been under investigation for months.
Given that the FIA had not yet completed their process, Horner was amazed at where Wolff got his information from, but Dr Helmut Marko indicated that Shaila-Ann Rao, secretary general at the FIA and former legal counsel to Wolff, had been feeding the 50-year-old inside information.
Ultimately, we must wait and see what the FIA have decided on Monday, and in the meantime, it is possible that Max Verstappen will seal the championship in Japan this weekend.
“Having a discussion that is not based on clear facts is pointless,” said Berger.
“It’s such a complex subject, where everyone has their specialties in how they read and interpret the regulations.
“If it’s been broken then there must be penalties, but nobody knows anything at the moment, and that is not a serious basis to discuss it.”
READ: Japanese GP: Max Verstappen and Lando Norris facing grid penalties
Verstappen survived another investigation by the FIA on Saturday after he took pole in Suzuka, with the stewards taking a look at a lairy incident with Lando Norris.
The Dutchman was given a reprimand, but was allowed to remain on pole position for the race.
A win with the fastest lap guarantees the reigning champion his second crown.