Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has questioned the impartiality of the FIA’s policing of Formula 1’s cost cap, pointing the finger at rivals Mercedes.
Red Bull was hit with a fine of $11 million for exceeding the 2021 spending limit by about $3.3 million. The total cost cap was $230 million.
Max Verstappen was crowned world champion for the first time at the final race of the season, after an intense and controversial battle with Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.
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Marko seemingly took aim at Shaila-Ann Rao, a former special adviser to Mercedes boss who is now the interim secretary-general for motorsport at the FIA, which is the governing body for Formula 1.
“It’s strange: an employee of Mercedes moved to the FIA, worked on these documents for the cost cap at Mercedes and was then responsible for checking them at the FIA,” Marko told German TV network RTL.
“In our opinion, there is certainly a compliance violation or at least an indication of compliance violations. The whole thing doesn’t make a good impression.”
It’s not the first time Rao’s new role has caused tension in the Formula 1 paddock. In June, Red Bull boss Christian Horner accused Mercedes of receiving inside information from the FIA in relation to a technical directive that was issued to solve the issue of porpoising, where the car bounces up and down at high speed.
At the time, Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto described Rao’s appointment as “a concern.”
Marko also suggested the penalty imposed on Red Bull was over the top.
“Because the cost cap was applied for the first time, this draconian penalty was imposed here, of course also under pressure from the other teams,” he said.
“After all, information went out in advance that we didn’t have, that actually only one team had. Of course, there’s a lot of politics involved.
“I’m convinced that this will become much clearer in the next few years. We are hiring more accountants to have the necessary security here.”
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