Hamilton expects FIA transparency around F1’s cost cap row, while Verstappen is unconcerned about the outcome of the cap certification process.
Lewis Hamilton has questioned Red Bull’s upgrades in 2021 and believes if Mercedes had matched them last season it could have “changed the outcome of the championship”.
Hamilton did not accuse Red Bull of breaching the budget cap, but admitted he had been thinking about the issue over the past season.
The seven-time world champion believes the FIA should be transparent in their decision-making and has backed them to make the right decision.
Red Bull is one of the teams rumored to have breached the spending cap, although this was vehemently denied by team principal Christian Horner during the previous round of the championship in Singapore.
“What I can say is that I remember last year at Silverstone we did our last update and luckily it was great and we were able to fight with it,” said Hamilton, speaking ahead of this year’s Japanese Grand Prix weekend.
“But then we’ll see Red Bull every weekend or every other weekend bringing improvements. I think they had at least four more improvements from that point on.
“If we spent £300,000 on a new floor, or adapted a wing, it would have changed the outcome of the championship naturally because we would have been in better competition at the next race if you added it.
Lewis Hamilton believes F1 must be transparent about any breaches of the cost cap and hold teams accountable for any breaches.
“So I hope that’s not the case. I believe in Mohammed [Ben Sulayem, FIA president] and the FIA will do what is right with what they find.”
The FIA announced ahead of the Japanese GP that confirmation of whether or not any of the sport’s 10 constructors had breached the $145 million spending cap in 2021 would be delayed until Monday, October 10, with two teams which were rumored to have exceeded this limit.
Sky Sports News understands that there have been no “major” breaches of the cap – overspending of more than five percent – and that any punishment would be in line with those set out for “minor” breaches of overspending by five percent.
Possible penalties for minor offenses include the deduction of constructors’ and drivers’ championship points and the suspension of one or more stages of a competition.
Craig Slater and Ted Kravitz do not foresee major breaches as Formula 1 prepares for long-awaited decision on cost caps.
Limitations on the team’s ability to conduct aerodynamic or other testing, or a reduction in its global cost cap in the future are also options.
Red Bull driver and reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who could seal a second title at Suzuka this weekend, insists he is not worried about the outcome of the FIA’s cap certification or the potential sanctions he could face your team
“I think we have our reasons to believe we’re good, that’s what I’ve been told and we’ll know on Monday,” Verstappen said, speaking to Sky Sports in response to Hamilton’s comments.
“It’s also something between the team and the FIA, it’s not really up to me, I’m here to drive fast and try to give the team the best result.”
Seven-time world champion Hamilton is confident the sport’s governing body is committed to integrity and hopes that will be the case with the cost cap.
The allegations of Red Bull breaking F1’s cost cap continue, but is there any truth to it and could they really cost Max Verstappen his 2021 title?
“Transparency is always very important, especially with all the fans that tune in and travel around the world,” Hamilton said.
“I think it’s important for all of us, in addition to all the people who are working, the thousands who work in the sport, I think it’s important to have transparency throughout the organization.
“And accountability is also something that we always have to respect. We’ve seen in previous years in the sport where things have been dealt with in the background, I don’t think that’s the new way to move forward with the new way to work with Mohammed.
“I think integrity is very important to him and as F1 is today with new management, so I think we have good people in place. I hope we have the right governance.”
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George Russell echoed the views of his Mercedes team-mate Hamilton at Thursday’s pre-race press conference at Suzuka, stressing his belief that the FIA will take the right approach with any team determined to having spent more than the limit.
“We know we can bring more performance to the table if we had more money to spend and it’s as simple as that,” Russell said.
“I trust Mohammed and the FIA to bring appropriate punishment to anyone found guilty of the charges charged.
“It should be pretty straightforward, and you’d expect the amount that’s taken out for next year’s budget and probably a bit more on top of that as punishment, but we’ll wait and see.”
Herbert: Punishment for non-compliance will set precedents
Jonny Herbert believes the FIA must be transparent and hand out tough penalties to anyone who breaks the cost cap to stop further infringements.
Sky Sports F1’s Johnny Herbert…
“I can understand from a driver’s point of view. You put your heart and soul into trying to perform as well as you can inside the cabin of the car to go as fast as you can. Then you hear all these rumors that maybe someone “has overspent, and we all know that if that’s the case, there’s going to be an upside to that. Then when that upside is something you hear about, and maybe know about, that makes it that much harder to sort out .to accept certain situations that have happened in the past or are happening in the present moment.
“I completely understand what his (Hamilton’s) thinking might be. But we’re not accountants, we don’t really know the whole issue that’s actually happened, so we have to wait and see exactly what it is.
“I think that whatever happens, if there is someone who has breached, that is what he does as a penalty, because it would be the precedent that would be established for the future and that will be what the teams will look at. Because that would then give them the direction of what they can do in the future.
“It means a lot to everyone here, the exact penalty that is put on a particular team that is found to be guilty of this.
“It’s going to have to be tough because the only way to try to end this is to be tough and say ‘if we get to this point again it’s going to be tough.’ Hopefully, that’s something that’s going to come our way because I think that’s what everyone looks forward to watching at home as a Formula 1 fan.”
