Max Verstappen is a complete world champion according to Mario Andretti. Photo Don / Kennedy
Red Bull is denying exceeding the $145 million cost cap budget imposed by the FIA at the start of the 2021 season, despite the FIA finding it responsible for a "minor overspend".
In what has now been dubbed "Costgate", the Aston Martin team was found to have committed a procedural breach, while Red Bull's minor overspend was considered to be up to 5 per cent over the $145m limit, but the FIA has not put any actual quantum on the amount of the alleged overspend.
The breach news came to light in Singapore, with Red Bull members wanting to know how Mercedes and Ferrari knew about the alleged breaches, yet they didn't.
Confirmation of a breach came a day after Max Verstappen won the Japanese Grand Prix, giving him back-to-back world championships, despite calls from Mercedes - still smarting after Lewis Hamilton narrowly lost the 2021 title - that the penalty for breaching the budget rules should include a loss of points in both the constructors' and driver's championships.
If Verstappen was docked more than eight points in last year's championship, Hamilton would become an eight-time world champion. Such a scenario would not be unwelcomed by Mercedes, given that team has always felt it was robbed of the championship.
The official response to the FIA from Red Bull was one of "surprise and disappointment".
"Our 2021 submission was below the cost cap limit, so we need to carefully review the FIA's findings as our belief remains that the relevant costs are under the 2021 cost cap amount. Despite the conjecture and positioning of others, there is of course a process under the regulations with the FIA, which we will respectfully follow while we consider all the options available to us.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is concerned that Red Bull could just get a fine, "which would not be fair because it would sanction the right to cheat".
Wolff has also questioned the reference to a "minor breach".
"Is it a so-called minor breach, because I think the word is probably not correct," Wolff said. "If you're spending five million more, and you're still in the minor breach, it still has a big impact on the championship. We know exactly what we're spending – three and a half million in parts that we bring to the car. So, then you can see what difference it makes to spend another $500,000."
The penalties available to the FIA against a team found guilty of overspending range from reprimands or fines to outright disqualification, depending on the nature of the breach. But Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko has dismissed the possibility of disqualification from either the 2021 or 2022 championships.
"I don't want to say too much," he told F1-Insider. "We still believe that we didn't break the cost cap rule at all. Discussions with the FIA are ongoing. Let's see what finally comes out of it."
The debate will go on until the FIA completes its process, which won't be before this weekend's US Grand Prix at Austin, Texas, a race that new double-world champion Verstappen won last year. Appropriately, American racing legend Mario Andretti, aged 82, who won the F1 world championship with Lotus in 1978, has commented on why he thinks Verstappen is a perfect example of what a champion should be.
"There's nothing better than being able to repeat a championship, especially after all that went on at the end of last year, doubts and so on and so forth," Andretti said.
"But he is deserving, as you can see, obviously in the best possible way - dominating so far this season, and he will probably dominate the rest of the way. He's just a perfect example of what a World Champion should be."
Andretti was asked what he thought was the young Dutchman's greatest strength.
"He's where he needs to be right now, I mean he's complete. That's all I can say. When he is so capable in qualifying, that's a premium where you start up front in Formula 1. And then his race craft is superb, of course - a lot of credit to the team because the strategies are always right on. He's a tough one to beat at the moment and that looks like it's there for the foreseeable future for sure."
Verstappen is pleased to know that his countryman, Nyck de Vries, will join him on the grid next year, having secured a drive with Alpha Tauri, the Red Bull sister team, as the replacement for Pierre Gasly, who will replace Fernando Alonso at Alpine, given the latter's move to Aston Martin next year to take the seat the retiring Sebastian Vettel will vacate.
Talk about musical chairs. It is just as well each team has quite different motorhomes, otherwise a few drivers could head for the wrong one next year, and there have been instances where drivers who swapped teams have driven into the wrong pit box after a change.
De Vries has been a Mercedes reserve driver but thanks to some input from Verstappen, will get a chance for a full-time drive next year. He had an immediate impact replacing Alex Albon at Williams in the Italian GP, when the latter had appendicitis. He finished 9th and caught the eye of Marko. Mercedes technical director Mike Elliot said he was happy for the opportunity that de Vries will have but it "might be a shame to see where he's going, but it's no different".
"I think he deserves this chance. He has shown to be an excellent diver."
That is probably an understatement, given the 28-year old is a two-time World Karting Champion, and has titles in Eurocup Formula Renault, Formula 2 and Formula E. When de Vries was announced in Japan as an Alpha Tauri driver for 2023, to drive alongside Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda, Verstappen said: "Of course, I knew this was coming. But of course, this is incredible for him. He's been pushing hard for it for a long time and to finally get that opportunity is amazing for him."
"Helmut is the guy, when he likes something, he is daring enough to then put him in the car whereas maybe other teams are a bit more careful. It's great news. We are good friends as well. We had dinner the day after Monza and I told him 'Just give him [Marko] a call, you never know what happens," Verstappen explained.
"It was also the right time to call him as Helmut is still probably excited on a Monday from the race on a Sunday, so it worked out really well. And I'm very happy for him."
Mercedes driver George Russell is also pleased de Vries will get an opportunity in F1.
"Out of the karting boys, Nyck was the only one who didn't make it to F1 who probably deserved to make it to F1," Russell told Autosport.
"So those five drivers, between myself, Alex, Max, Charles [Leclerc] and Nyck, who were in that period racing against each other in '11 and '12 as I said, Nyck was the only one who didn't make it, so happy to see him there. I've always rated him. In karting he was the man to beat."
Two drivers who will be in the same team next year at Alpine, the incumbent Esteban Ocon, and the incoming Gasly, were born about 10km away from each other in Normandy, France and went through the racing grades together, just like Hamilton and Nico Rosberg did. They were good friends in those early days, but like Hamilton and Rosberg, they fell out. The two met up recently for a very public meeting, with the media present, to signal that they will be able to work together. The question is, will they?
Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer says they are both professional and will have no issue working together. Neither driver has indicated when or how their friendship broke down, but Gasly says the real talking point is how two 6-year-olds racing in karting in their hometown, will now be in the same F1 team, and a French one at that.
"At that time, it was only a dream to get to F1 and we knew even the chance for one of us to make it there was pretty much impossible," Gasly recalled.
"But to now be racing in the same team in F1 for a French manufacturer is just an incredible story. We have had our ups and downs in our relationship, but I believe this is also an opportunity for us to clear a bit what's happened in the past and I'm definitely not worried."
- Sources: F1.com; Autosport.