Vasseur calls on 'stricter, quicker' action on F1 cost cap breaches

Incoming Ferrari team boss Frédéric Vasseur is calling for tougher F1 cost cap sanctions from the FIA in the future, insisting that even a minor breach is a "mega" transgression.

Red Bull was found guilty of exceeding its mandatory 2021 $145 million budget cap by $1.8 million.

While qualified as 'minor' by the FIA, the breach led to a $7 million financial penalty imposed on the team and to a sporting sanction represented by a 10% reduction in aerodynamic development hours.

Although Red Bull team boss called the sanction "draconian" at the time, several teams felt that the punishments levied upon the Milton Keynes-based outfit by the FIA were not strong enough.

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• Wolff: Cost cap saga inflicted 'reputational damage' on Red Bull

Vasseur believes the cost cap is "by far the best regulation that we introduced in F1", but the Frenchman also insists that tougher sanctions should be in order in the future, while the audit process in itself should also be sped up.

"Where we have to work today, firstly, it was far too long," Vasseur told Motorsport.com at the end of last year.

"We need to find a way to have a red light before, or to be able to take action much earlier. And we have to probably be a bit more strict on the decision.

"OK, perhaps this was the first one, but from now we have to forget about minor and major. Because for me, two or three million, it's not minor, it's mega, for development.

"I think we have to be much more strict and much more quick on the action."

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem hinted at the end of the last year at a more expedited process in the future, one that would not keep the teams waiting 10 months after submitting their accounts for the audit's results.

While calling for a stricter and tougher oversight, Vasseur was nevertheless praiseful of the FIA's policing and audit work that was overseen by the FIA's head of financial regulations, Federico Lodi.

"I would say the cost cap administration and Federico Lodi did a mega job," said Vasseur. "We don't have to forget it."

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