Shovlin: Red Bull calling cost cap penalty 'draconian' is an 'exageration'

Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin says Red Bull's extreme characterization of its aerodynamic testing reduction caused by its cost cap breach is an "exaggeration".

Red Bull's £1.8 million overspend in 2021 was sanctioned by the FIA with a $7 million fine and a 10 per cent reduction of its aerodynamic development hours.

Team boss Christian Horner qualified his team's sporting penalty as "draconian" and likely to cost its cars between 0.25s and half a second.

But Shovlin disagrees with Horner's extremely negative estimate, insisting the magnitude of the reduction is in reality comparable to "what you would lose if you were just one place higher up in the championship."

A F1 team's allocation of aero testing is determined by an inverse sliding scale principle, the percentage of which depends on a team's classification in the sport's Constructors' standings.

For instance, a team finishing 10th in this year’s championship will get 115% of windtunnel time next year.

Overall, Red Bull is set to receive a 63% allocation of windtunnel and CFD time based on its cost cap penalty and its 2022 Constructors' title. Comparably, Ferrari and Mercedes will be restricted respectively to a 75% and 80% allocation based on their current P2 and P3 positions in the current championship.

"It’s not as big as the penalty if your position is two places higher," said Shovlin during Saturday’s FIA press conference ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix.

"So I think describing it as draconian is an exaggeration.

"Reducing the number of runs does limit your freedom when developing a concept, but we’re in reasonably well-explored regulations now. But you definitely have to be more efficient."

Read also:

• Ferrari: Real effect of Red Bull penalty 'very limited'

Shovlin also disputed Horner's claim that 10% windtunnel time was worth half a second on the track.

By that logic, he said, "a team at the back of the grid would have a three second advantage to the one at the front, and that isn’t the case."

"It depends how well you make decisions through the year," he added. "I would have thought a tenth, maybe two-tenths at the upper end, is realistically what that will cost you.

"Where it would be costly is if you’ve chosen an incorrect concept and need to backtrack, it’s removing that freedom to explore different avenues."

Also present in the press conference, Alfa Romeo F1 boss Fred Vasseur echoed Shovlin's comment on a 10% allocation being worth half a second on the track.

"If we speak about technical or sporting decision or penalty, it’s a bit different for me," said Vasseur.

"I’m not sure that we are making half a second with 10% of the allocation. Or we are very stupid."

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