Red Bull’s rivals have been outraged in recent weeks as it was confirmed by the FIA that the team had a minor breach of last season’s budget cap.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has claimed that even as much as $500,000 can make the difference in a championship, and with Verstappen only taking the driver’s championship on the final race, this breach could have been the deciding factor.
“We always monitor closely which parts are brought to the track by the top teams in each race, and for at least two seasons, we can see that there are two top teams that are the same and another that instead spends more,” he explained.
“So you can understand spending an extra $500,000 can make a difference.”
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The energy drink owned team have released a statement that they are ‘surprised and disappointed’ with the FIA’s findings, with the team always denying any possible wrongdoing since the rumours began.
However, former Dutch racing driver Allard Kalff has stated his fury at the FIA for the way that they have handles the investigation, believing that they themselves have had a scandal of their own.
“The only thing I find very scandalous is that apparently people knew it was Aston Martin and Red Bull,” he told Racing News, in reference to the rumours than began weeks before any official statement from the FIA.
“Somewhere someone has leaked. I think that is even more outrageous than the fact that there is now a discussion about whether or not too much money has been spent.”
The Dutchman believes that the rumour mill throwing accusations around the paddock at Red Bull and Aston Martin has not benefitted anyone, and has in fact crossed a line.
“In the sense of: ‘we had a discussion and they may or may not have been punished’, that’s fine, but it shouldn’t be more transparent than that.
“Who benefits from that?
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“If you already look at what nonsense is being shouted.”
While Red Bull seem likely to get away with just a fine, rather than a deduction of point that would see Verstappen lose last years title, it remains to be seen how the information about the breach first reached the public.
It also remains to be seen how Red Bull will go out tackling Kalff’s suggestions, with potential slander and libel cases being a horizon if they are found innocent of the allegations thrown at them by the press and the likes of Toto Wolff.