It is widely expected that the FIA are to announce that two teams have breached the F1 cost cap rules, with Aston Martin and Redbull suspected as the guilty teams.
In an early test of the Cost Cap regulations, both Redbull and Aston Martin are said to be the teams to have breached the new financial rules set out by the FIA.
With Redbull and Aston Martin under the spotlight regarding their financial practices, the bigger spotlight will be on the FIA and F1 to see how they will handle these breaches. Will the penalties include sporting sanctions, such as Constructor or Driver points deductions or will they use a monetary deterrent and fine the teams?
The FIA’s financial regulations has a few different options regarding the sanctions that can be used. These Including: (for a minor breach), public reprimand, deduction of Constructor or Driver points, limits to aerodynamic and other testing or the reduction of the Cost Cap.
For a more material breach a team could face exclusion from the Championship. The Cost Cap adjudication panel will assess the breaches, with all decisions subject to an appeal by the team concerned.
This will be make or break for the Cost Cap, it will either strengthen the system and help to reinforce Formula 1’s message of a more cost effective series or break it all together. Formula 1 has to get this right, if not there will be no coming back, giving the impression that the Cost Cap is in place in name only.