Teams at odds over sporting penalties for budget cap breaches

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Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff says three F1 teams have taken a stance against applying sporting penalties for budget cap violations.

For the first time in the sport's history, teams are restricted this season to a $145 million budget. While there are financial provisions included in the rules to sanction teams that breach the cost cap limit, the plan is also to include minor sporting penalties and more significant ones.

But the teams have yet to agree on the definitive list of sanctions, with Red Bull, AlphaTauri and Ferrari reportedly opposing sporting penalties.

Wolff said the situation would likely be cleared up in the coming weeks.

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"A large group of teams, seven out of 10 teams, voted in favour of introducing sporting penalties for financial cap infringements," Wolff explained.

"At the moment, there are only financial penalties. And three teams voted against it, saying we'll take a financial penalty, but we don't want to have a sporting penalty.

"That's a bit odd. But I think the compromise that we have achieved now is to understand why that is, and which regulations do they feel are incomplete or uncomfortable.

"The target that we have set ourselves is a couple of weeks to sort it out, and then everybody understands that financial cap regulation infringements should be seen just the same as technical infringements in terms of sporting penalties."

This year's $145m budget cap - which was initially set at $175m, before the onslaught last year of the coronavirus pandemic – will fall to $140m in 2022 and then to $130m for 2023.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.