Christian Horner doesn’t agree that he’s being portrayed as a hypocrite when it comes to changing the rules all season long. The former Red Bull Racing boss has indicated he doesn’t think it’s right to add the rules around porpoises, but at the same time he advocates expanding the budget cap. Explain why this is not hypocrisy.
in conversation with Sky Sports F1 Let the British shed light on the allegations against him. The team leader believes that the two cases cannot be compared. One is force majeure, the other is under the control of teams. “What we’re talking about with the cost cap is inflation. In the UK they’re talking about 11 per cent inflation in the second half of the year.
This inflation is something that teams didn’t consider when preparing their budgets in advance, which can now cause problems down the line. This is the result of what is happening in the world. Horner, who therefore believes that the difference should be accommodated, said.
no force majeure
That word “force majeure” is exactly why he thinks raising the budget cap is permissible in the middle of the season. With porpoises, it’s different. “This is within the control of the team,” said the Red Bull Racing team manager. Since there is no issue of force majeure and the teams themselves can respond to this issue, a rule change regarding this issue is not necessary, according to Horner.
Update 08.45 (24/06) | Horner: “Then the big teams would have to lay off roughly two to three hundred employees.”
Christian Horner fears mass layoffs if Formula 1 does nothing against rising inflation. This inflation increases the costs of the Formula 1 teams, but it has not been taken into account in the budget ceiling. As a result, the Red Bull Racing team manager believes that the only solution for the top teams will soon be to send a significant portion of the team home to meet the 2022 financial requirements.
“We have six months to deal with this, we must act now,” the Englishman confirmed in an interview. Sky Sports F1† He adds, “I think the big teams are going to have to lay off about two to three hundred employees to get close to the current limit, right?” As it stands, Red Bull will therefore have to conduct significant layoffs without adjusting for inflation.
In addition, Horner fears the future of the budget cap plan. Teams are allowed to spend a maximum of $140 million (€133 million, editor) this year in an effort to make the sport more profitable for all participants. Horner fears that if the budget cap now causes big problems, it won’t happen again: “If the budget cap fails, we will lose it forever. We also don’t want the championship to be decided in court or at the FIA.”
The second update (6.40 AD) | Horner: “It shows that the teams in midfield are going too far”
Christian Horner continues to express his concerns about the budget ceiling in Formula 1. According to the Red Bull Racing boss, not only is the Austrian racing team suffering from rising inflation, but teams such as Mercedes and Ferrari appear to be under more pressure. Because of the budget cap. Even midfield teams are now at risk of crossing the line, according to the Briton.
The FIA appears to be responding to Horner’s lament. The governing body will then introduce an inflation adjustment and that is also necessary, according to the Red Bull boss. “We don’t have the biggest problems,” Horner was quoted by the German branch as saying. Motorsport.com† “Mercedes and Ferrari have higher costs. It also shows that midfield teams overstep the limit because they want the budget cap to be lower.”
The smaller teams in Formula 1 believe there should be no correction to inflation. They argue that Red Bull should keep an eye on its developments during the season. “Upgrades are not our biggest expense. Fixed costs like shipping, energy, and parts delivery are what have increased very quickly,” Horner said.
