2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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Badger
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Re: 2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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So two teams, insiders speculating McLaren and Mercedes, one of the teams has appealed the decision (so turning down the ABA). This could turn ugly. Ferrari will not be best pleased if it turns out to be McLaren.

basti313
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Re: 2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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f1isgood wrote:
25 Oct 2025, 19:15
Most likely Williams or Mercedes. Both had way too many crashes. Both had TPs complain about this before.
I do not buy why it should be crashes. That is money, that is crystal clear on the race team and well calculatable. They also need to plan and produce the parts well in advance. That would be just stupid to exceed the cost cap with spare parts, I do not believe this story.

RedBull was too creative with certain costs like the catering. I bet there is another example of shifting costs in a creative way...
Don`t russel the hamster!

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AR3-GP
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Re: 2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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Quantum wrote:
26 Oct 2025, 01:36

We also wouldn't "already know" if it was them. It could be any team at this point aside from AM. Loads of denials from journos/twitterati were issued regarding RB being the perpetrators last time.

Simply, nobody knows and no credible sources will name drop until the process has been completed and vetted by auditors.
The team in question (1 of them) has already communicated directly with planetf1. The genie is out of the bottle.
However, the team at the heart of the allegations highlighted to PlanetF1.com that there is a defined process which must be followed for any breach (potential or actual), which is not taking place.
Autoracer has also reported that 8 of 10 teams have received certificates. This is the same language used in 2022. Those teams that did not receive certificates yet are in a spot of bother if the past is representative. These audits are intensive and it's difficult to sweep things under the rug.

I think the secrecy surrounding it (this time) has already given the game away, but am hoping it's nothing.
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Quantum
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Re: 2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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AR3-GP wrote:
27 Oct 2025, 05:36
The team in question (1 of them) has already communicated directly with planetf1. The genie is out of the bottle.
However, the team at the heart of the allegations highlighted to PlanetF1.com that there is a defined process which must be followed for any breach (potential or actual), which is not taking place.
"1 of them" is unidentified, vague and remains an unattached quote from an anonymous source from an unnamed team.
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AR3-GP
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Re: 2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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Quantum wrote:
27 Oct 2025, 10:30
AR3-GP wrote:
27 Oct 2025, 05:36
The team in question (1 of them) has already communicated directly with planetf1. The genie is out of the bottle.
However, the team at the heart of the allegations highlighted to PlanetF1.com that there is a defined process which must be followed for any breach (potential or actual), which is not taking place.
"1 of them" is unidentified, vague and remains an unattached quote from an anonymous source from an unnamed team.
To be clear, it’s unidentified to me. It’s known to the author who has written the article. Author is clearly on “no-libel” gag order. Thus a team is in trouble and it might not just go away.
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organic
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Re: 2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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Badger wrote:
26 Oct 2025, 18:38
So two teams, insiders speculating McLaren and Mercedes, one of the teams has appealed the decision (so turning down the ABA). This could turn ugly. Ferrari will not be best pleased if it turns out to be McLaren.
I'm banking on the side of the FIA having made a mistake.

Badger
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Re: 2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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organic wrote:
27 Oct 2025, 13:41
Badger wrote:
26 Oct 2025, 18:38
So two teams, insiders speculating McLaren and Mercedes, one of the teams has appealed the decision (so turning down the ABA). This could turn ugly. Ferrari will not be best pleased if it turns out to be McLaren.
I'm banking on the side of the FIA having made a mistake.
Does it seem plausible that the FIA has bungled two cost cap investigations this far into the financial regs? More likely to me is that someone (or two) has gotten a little too creative with their accounting, and the FIA has taken issue. Now that team is likely arguing the merits of said accounting.

But the fact that this is happening after two years of no issues tells me that someone has taken liberties and is getting more creative. If they had just done the same as previous years we would not be here.

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organic
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Re: 2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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Badger wrote:
27 Oct 2025, 15:11
organic wrote:
27 Oct 2025, 13:41
Badger wrote:
26 Oct 2025, 18:38
So two teams, insiders speculating McLaren and Mercedes, one of the teams has appealed the decision (so turning down the ABA). This could turn ugly. Ferrari will not be best pleased if it turns out to be McLaren.
I'm banking on the side of the FIA having made a mistake.
Does it seem plausible that the FIA has bungled two cost cap investigations this far into the financial regs? More likely to me is that someone (or two) has gotten a little too creative with their accounting, and the FIA has taken issue. Now that team is likely arguing the merits of said accounting.

But the fact that this is happening after two years of no issues tells me that someone has taken liberties and is getting more creative. If they had just done the same as previous years we would not be here.
Well given we've had some robust denials from people like Mark Hughes that it's not red bull this time, why have the supposedly guilty teams behaved for 2021, 2022 and 2023 but suddenly 'become creative', as you suggest, in 2024? My opinion is that new FIA procedures for instance coupled with large turnover within the organization (which we know has happened) could result in discrepancies appearing now, but not in previous years. Systematic error would be a good reason for multiple teams to be found erroneously in breach of the cap at once.

I just find that more realistic than two teams behaving for 3 budget cap cycles and then both independently misbehaving in '24. My explanation offers a reason why both would happen at once and the unstable FIA organisation is an easy reason for mistakes to creep in

Badger
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Re: 2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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organic wrote:
27 Oct 2025, 15:37
Badger wrote:
27 Oct 2025, 15:11
organic wrote:
27 Oct 2025, 13:41


I'm banking on the side of the FIA having made a mistake.
Does it seem plausible that the FIA has bungled two cost cap investigations this far into the financial regs? More likely to me is that someone (or two) has gotten a little too creative with their accounting, and the FIA has taken issue. Now that team is likely arguing the merits of said accounting.

But the fact that this is happening after two years of no issues tells me that someone has taken liberties and is getting more creative. If they had just done the same as previous years we would not be here.
Well given we've had some robust denials from people like Mark Hughes that it's not red bull this time, why have the supposedly guilty teams behaved for 2021, 2022 and 2023 but suddenly 'become creative', as you suggest, in 2024? My opinion is that new FIA procedures for instance coupled with large turnover within the organization (which we know has happened) could result in discrepancies appearing now, but not in previous years. Systematic error would be a good reason for multiple teams to be found erroneously in breach of the cap at once.

I just find that more realistic than two teams behaving for 3 budget cap cycles and then both independently misbehaving in '24. My explanation offers a reason why both would happen at once and the unstable FIA organisation is an easy reason for mistakes to creep in
Systematic error that affects 2 out of 10 teams? Not sure about that. I have to believe that the FIA would double and triple check its own work before rendering a verdict that you’ve exceeded the cap.
Now maybe those checks are what is happening right now, or maybe the team is arguing its side. But I don’t see this being a “routine mistake” by the FIA, rather something more contentious, up for interpretation.

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AR3-GP
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Re: 2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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organic wrote:
27 Oct 2025, 15:37
Badger wrote:
27 Oct 2025, 15:11
organic wrote:
27 Oct 2025, 13:41


I'm banking on the side of the FIA having made a mistake.
Does it seem plausible that the FIA has bungled two cost cap investigations this far into the financial regs? More likely to me is that someone (or two) has gotten a little too creative with their accounting, and the FIA has taken issue. Now that team is likely arguing the merits of said accounting.

But the fact that this is happening after two years of no issues tells me that someone has taken liberties and is getting more creative. If they had just done the same as previous years we would not be here.
Well given we've had some robust denials from people like Mark Hughes that it's not red bull this time, why have the supposedly guilty teams behaved for 2021, 2022 and 2023 but suddenly 'become creative', as you suggest, in 2024? My opinion is that new FIA procedures for instance coupled with large turnover within the organization (which we know has happened) could result in discrepancies appearing now, but not in previous years. Systematic error would be a good reason for multiple teams to be found erroneously in breach of the cap at once.

I just find that more realistic than two teams behaving for 3 budget cap cycles and then both independently misbehaving in '24. My explanation offers a reason why both would happen at once and the unstable FIA organisation is an easy reason for mistakes to creep in
The financials have been submitted since March. They haven’t hired some rent-a-cops. These are experienced auditors. Their review of the financials would have been double and triple checked before calling up any team on breaches.

I agree with Badger that if a team has breached the cap, it is because they were getting more creative. F1-insider posted an article about a loophole where spouses of engineers could get hired to marketing roles (excluded cost) and paid outlandish salaries as a back door to paying engineer household more.
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Quantum
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Re: 2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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Can't find Mark Hughes "robust denial" anywhere.
"Interplay of triads"

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organic
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Re: 2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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Quantum wrote:
27 Oct 2025, 19:13
Can't find Mark Hughes "robust denial" anywhere.
This isn't like planetf1 or Erik van haren denying it. Mark Hughes is well connected but not affiliated with specific teams like many journos

purestpurist
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Re: 2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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Williams (minor, crash damage) and Alpine (Flavio business masterclass)

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Quantum
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Re: 2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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organic wrote:
27 Oct 2025, 19:31
Quantum wrote:
27 Oct 2025, 19:13
Can't find Mark Hughes "robust denial" anywhere.
This isn't like planetf1 or Erik van haren denying it. Mark Hughes is well connected but not affiliated with specific teams like many journos
Thats not even a denial, let alone robust :lol:
"Interplay of triads"

CjC
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Re: 2024 Cost Cap Breaches

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Supposedly McLaren and Ferrari are in the clear- contradicting some reports that’s it’s McLaren and Mercedes who are in trouble.

https://www.grandprix.com/news/no-budge ... laren.html
Just a fan's point of view