More fuel to the fire: Hamilton probes sore spot in accusation against Red Bull

The FIA has again delayed the announcement of its spending cap report for October 10, after a possible breach of the 2021 season budget cap by Red Bull, and to a lesser extent, Aston was revealed. Martin. true wolffboss Mercedeswas furious about this possibility last week at Singaporewhich clarified that, if the information is true, the final battle for the 2021 title could be changed by Red Bull’s greater ability to improve its car due to spending more than allowed, in addition to pointing out that this money would have served to him. in turn to create the winning car they have in 2022. A week later, at Japanese F1 GP Lewis Hamilton, the driver who lost his crown Verstappen in the last race last year at Abu Dhabi.

In this sense, despite the fact that Hamilton said that he did not really know if Red Bull exceeded the budget ceiling, the Briton forced the FIA ​​to act strongly if the information was true. And it is the Englishman who ironically refers to the fact that Mercedes presented its latest package of improvements at Silverstone 2021, while seeing that Red Bull has continued to evolve its car “four times” from that moment the rest of the year.

“I remember last year at Silverstone we had the last update. and luckily she was great and we wrestled with her. But then we see the improvements that Red Bull brings every weekend or every other weekend. They’ve had, I think, at least four more updates since then.”the English pilot revealed in remarks to ‘Sky’.

“If we spend 300,000 (dollars) more on a new floor or an adapted wing, it will change the outcome of the championship.Naturally, because we would have been in a better position to compete in the next races. So hopefully that’s not the case, for the sport.”argued the 7-time world champion, sure that if Mercedes exceeded the budget ceiling with more improvements for his car, the final result of the championship could have been different.

Hamilton is confident of an exemplary decision by the FIA

Therefore, Hamilton is confident that the FIA ​​will make the right decision. “I think Mohammed (FIA President ben Sulayem) and the FIA ​​will do the right thing with what they find out. That’s what we have to believe.”

“It is important for all of us, all the people who work, the thousands of people who work, to have transparency throughout the organization and accountability is something that we must always be honest about. We have seen, in the last years of sport, the times when things were discussed behind the scenes. I don’t think that’s the new way for Mohammed’s new way of working. I think integrity is very important to him, like in F1 today with its new management. So I think we have good people in place. I hope we have good governance.”he concluded, subtly putting pressure on the decision the FIA ​​will make about Red Bull.

We have to see what the report indicates on October 10. One of the most relevant questions is to see how much Red Bull can exceed the cost limit. If it exceeds this by less than 5%, the regulation indicates that it is a minor violation, in which Red Bull can face a simple economic fine. But if it exceeds 5% of the 140 million dollars allowed, the penalty is not clear at all because it can be more or less harsh, and even considering the elimination of the points of the year in which the violation was made.

However, 5% of 140 million is about 7 million. Mercedes and Ferrari in Singapore assured that with 5 million more a car can improve up to half a second, so they do not consider that the lack of less than 5% should be considered something slight.