Two teams are said to have breached the budget cap in 2021, according to a report by German publication, Auto Motor und Sport.
Earlier in 2022, Williams were handed a fine for a procedural breach of the financial regulations, having failed to submit their paperwork in time.
Red Bull and Aston Martin are mentioned in the report, which does not specify whether their alleged indiscretion is a material overspend, or a minor one.
As per Article eight of the financial rules, a minor overspend breach is when a team overspends by less than five percent, for which they can be hit with a small financial or sporting penalty.
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A material overspend breach is found when a team overspends by more than five percent, and more severe punishments can be handed out for this.
According Article 9.1, teams can be reprimanded, deducted points, suspended, given a limit on testing time, or the FIA can choose to reduce the cost cap.
Perhaps the most severe punishment is an exclusion from the world championship season, and this applies to the year under scrutiny, which in this instance, is 2021.
The governing body will hand out certificates of compliance next week, but there is suspicion that Red Bull and Aston Martin might not be the recipients of one.
Red Bull, according to Total-Motorsport.com, have overspent by $10 million, and the five percent threshold on the $145 million limit this season is $7.25 million.
This would see the Austrian side fall into the material overspend category, but these reports are as yet unconfirmed.
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The FIA have called the rumours around the budget cap “unsubstantiated,” and will deal with any over expenditure as and when they find any.
Max Verstappen beat Sir Lewis Hamilton to the world championship last season, and if Red Bull are found guilty of overspending, there is a small possibility that they could be thrown out of the standings.
The regulations do not specify whether this exclusion applies to both championships, or only the Constructors’.