The 2023 season, albeit with a few months delay, can be officially said to be concluded. The FIA has in fact published the outcome of the checks relating to the Budget Cap for the 2023 season, finding no anomalies in the counts of the 10 teams. The only issue that will need to be investigated concerns two engine manufacturers, Alpine and Honda, under observation for procedural violations. Nothing transcendental given that these irregularities, although subject to sanctions, do not have direct consequences on the teams' performance on the track.
FIA, checks on 2023 Budget Cap completed: all teams in compliance
The FIA has completed its audits of team budgets for the 2023 season, and the verdict is clear. None of the ten teams breached the spending ceiling imposed by the financial regulation. This is very positive news for Formula 1, demonstrating how the budget cap system is working to keep competition fair and controlled.
The budget cap is a sensitive topic. Introduced in 2021 with the aim of limiting team expenses and ensuring greater parity in the championship, like all new developments it immediately raised some doubts. The teams were skeptical and these doubts grew with the outbreak of the first case. Red Bull in 2021 it had in fact exceeded the spending limit, unleashing a storm of controversy. The team was sanctioned with a fine of 7 million dollars. In addition, the Austrian team obtained a 10% reduction in the time available for development in the wind tunnel. This episode has put financial management under a magnifying glass and prompted the FIA to intensify controls to ensure that similar situations do not repeat themselves.
For 2023, all ten teams have met the spending cap imposed by the regulation, which for this year was set at 135 million dollars, having to manage a greater number of races on the calendar.Top teams like Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes, along with mid-table teams like McLaren and Aston Martin, have shown they can manage their finances without breaking the rules.
Procedural Violations for Honda and Alpine
Despite compliance with the spending cap, The FIA has detected procedural irregularities in the financial declarations submitted by Honda, as the engine manufacturer, and from Alpine. These are violations related to documentation and cost reporting, not budget overruns. These infractions will now be assessed by the FIA, who will decide what sanctions to apply. These violations are not expected to carry serious penalties, but it is a reminder of the importance of maintaining good governance also at an administrative and procedural level.
Source: FIA
