2022 was an incredible year for Red Bull, with the Austrians having enjoyed their most successful campaign since joining the championship back in 2005.
Not only did they claim their first Constructors’ Championship since 2013, Max Verstappen also claimed a second consecutive Drivers’ Championship for the energy drink-owned team.
Despite all of their success, though, which included winning 17 times in 2022, the team did go through a turbulent period.
This was as a result of the FIA finding Red Bull guilty of having breached the 2021 budget cap, which saw the Austrians awarded a fine of $7 million and a 10-percent reduction in wind tunnel time.
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Sadly, the incident made headlines in and around the tragic death of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, whom team principal Christian Horner dedicated their title to.
Cruising to the title, though, comes at a huge cost, with teams having to pay the FIA an entry fee of $617,687 plus $7,411 per point scored to enter the championship the following season.
Williams, for example, will have to pay $676,975 to enter next season, whereas Red Bull will have to part ways with $6.24 million.
It means that when adding the team’s 2023 entry fee and budget cap fine together, the Austrians will be giving the governing body just over $13 million.
Horner couldn’t believe how big the team’s 2023 entry fee was and admitted that the total was “incredible”, and not in a good way!
“I didn’t realise how much we had to pay the FIA for the points. I got the bill the other day, it was incredible,” admitted Horner ahead of the FIA’s gala prize-giving ceremony in Bologna, Italy.
Success very much appears to come at a price; however, Red Bull will likely not care.
The team were completely imperious in 2022, with Verstappen having claimed 15 victories alone on his way to the title.
This saw the Dutchman break the record for most wins in a single season, as well as most points scored in a season.
Reflecting on his second World Championship, Verstappen hailed it as “better and more rewarding” than his controversial 2021 title, with there certainly being no question as to who deserved the 2022 crown.
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“Your whole life you aim for one particular goal, and that’s to become a world champion — for me in Formula One – so the first one is always very emotional once you achieve it,” Verstappen told reporters.
“This year has been very different. I do think we were more competitive this year, and also more enjoyable with the way we were performing as a whole team.
“We won the drivers’ (title), and the constructors’, we had a lot of victories as a team, so I would say this one is better and more rewarding. But the first one will always be more emotional.”