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Sky Sports takes a look at whether Max Verstappen could lose the 2021 title or get disqualified from 2022 season if Red Bull’s budget cap breach is confirmed.
On Wednesday, the FIA is expected to announce the official results of their assessment of the 2021 financial data submitted by all Formula 1 teams.
Ahead of the official announcement, Sky Sports’ Stephen Mills takes a look at possible consequences for Max Verstappen if it is confirmed that Red Bull breached the 2021 budget cap.
“Verstappen eventually won last season’s title by only eight points from Lewis Hamilton, so theoretically, any meaningful points deduction in last year’s drivers’ championship would likely see him drop below Hamilton in the standings,” Mills wrote.
“However, nobody has openly called for such a punishment at this stage. Wolff described it as “unrealistic” and Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle says ‘it would be a nonsense to try to unravel all of that now’.
However, as it has already been established that a budget cap breach in 2021 heavily influences a team’s performance in 2022, Mills also examines the possibility of Red Bull being disqualified from the 2022 season.
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“If Red Bull are found guilty of a material breach of the rules, then exclusion from this season’s championship is one of the potential punishments the panel could select.
“Brundle insists any team in serious breach would need to take “a heavy penalty” but also suspects the current rumours could “fade to black”.
“However, when the cost cap was announced in 2019, F1’s managing director Ross Brawn said: ‘This has teeth. If you fraudulently breach the financial regulations, you will be losing your championship. It has serious consequences if teams breach these regulations’.
“We may find out in the next few days if such consequences need to be applied,” Mills concluded.
