Red Bull slams McLaren's reference to 'cheating' in FIA letter - The Race

Red Bull Formula 1 brag Christian Horner calls it “absolutely shocking” to person been linked to cheating successful a missive from McLaren to the FIA regarding Red Bull’s ongoing fund headdress dispute.

After the FIA’s investigation of teams’ 2021 fund headdress submissions determined Red Bull had overspent by an unspecified amount, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown wrote to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.

He did not notation Red Bull by sanction but did notation that “one squad was blameworthy of a insignificant overspend breach positive a procedural breach” and stated his content this would “constitute cheating by offering a important vantage crossed technical, sporting and fiscal regulations”.

Horner, sat beside Brown successful Saturday’s FIA property league astatine the United States Grand Prix, did not look astatine him arsenic helium addressed the McLaren missive successful a stinging reply that slammed “fictitious allegations” and claimed the persecution of Red Bull has been specified that children of squad employees person been bullied due to the fact that of it.

“Zak’s letter, which wasn’t copied to america – we’ve had show of that missive and it’s tremendously disappointing for a chap rival to beryllium accusing you of cheating,” Horner said.

“To impeach you of fraudulent enactment is shocking. It’s perfectly shocking that different competitor, without the facts oregon immoderate cognition of the details, tin beryllium making that benignant of accusation.

“We’ve been connected proceedings due to the fact that of nationalist accusations since Singapore. The rhetoric of ‘cheats’, that we’ve had this tremendous benefit.

“The numbers that person been enactment retired successful the media are miles retired of reality. The harm that does to the brand, to our partners, to our drivers, to our workforce.

“In an property wherever intelligence wellness is prevalent, we’re seeing important issues wrong our workforce, we’re getting kids that are being bullied successful playgrounds who are employees’ children. That is not right. Through fictitious allegations from different teams.

“You cannot spell astir making that benignant of allegation without immoderate information oregon substance.

“So, we perfectly are appalled astatine the behaviour of immoderate of our competitors.”

Red Bull has so acold contested the FIA’s mentation of its fund headdress submission.

There is simply a quality implicit what should and should not beryllium included successful the outgo headdress figures and Red Bull maintains its submission, which was beneath the limit, followed the fiscal regulations correctly.

The FIA has proposed an Accepted Breach Agreement to Red Bull and determination person been discussions betwixt Horner and Ben Sulayem successful Austin this weekend.

But to participate into that ABA, Red Bull needs to judge it committed a breach and immoderate punishment the FIA has suggested.

The Race understands a fine, which would beryllium exempt from a aboriginal fund headdress submission, and a simplification successful aerodynamic investigating clip was portion of the archetypal FIA proposal.

Brown’s missive called for a simplification successful immoderate offending team’s aboriginal outgo headdress limits and a 20% simplification successful its CFD and windtunnel investigating allowances.

However, outgo headdress reductions are not among the penalties allowed successful an ABA – it would request Red Bull to garbage to participate the ABA and the lawsuit to spell to the Cost Cap Adjudication Panel for that benignant of punishment to beryllium possible.

In effect to Horner’s remarks and successful defence of his letter, Brown said connected Saturday: “My missive acceptable retired that if someone, a team, spends much than the cap, they’re going to get an advantage.

“The headdress is simply a rule, nary antithetic to the method rules successful the sport. We’re not taking a presumption connected whether they did oregon didn’t.

“[The thought was] ‘If idiosyncratic has, present are the things that should beryllium addressed’, nary antithetic than if a thrust tallness is incorrect oregon a flexi-wing oregon immoderate the lawsuit whitethorn be.

“I didn’t notation immoderate teams, it was a wide response. Now that we’re into the outgo headdress era, if idiosyncratic breaches that, here’s what we deliberation immoderate of the ramifications are.

“I person nary thought what the fig is, I cognize nary of the detail. If we had much wealth to spend, that would enactment america successful a amended airy and show – much people, much upgrades, immoderate the lawsuit whitethorn be.

“We consciousness it’s a show payment if idiosyncratic has spent much than the allocated outgo cap.

“That is up to the FIA to find whether they person oregon haven’t.”

Horner said Brown had a “convenient memory” of the missive the McLaren brag wrote.

“The 5% model is portion of the regulations that needs to beryllium looked at,” Horner said successful notation to the ‘minor’ breach Red Bull has committed.

“The ranging suite of penalties is wholly subjective and I deliberation this is what is contributing to a concerted run for determination to beryllium a draconian punishment connected Red Bull for what astatine the extremity of the time is successful contention with the FIA for a mates of 100 1000 dollars.

“I’ll explicate aboriginal wherefore we person a antithetic sentiment wrong that submission of what our presumption was versus another.

“What has been tremendously disappointing passim this full process is the leakage that happened.

“We’re abruptly connected proceedings and subjected to what is efficaciously abuse. Zak has a precise convenient representation of the missive helium wrote, accusing america of cheating and being fraudulent. It’s conscionable not right. And this has to stop.”