Red Bull is ready to reveal the details of an agreement it has reached with Formula 1’s governing body over the penalty for the 2021 budget cap breach.
The outcome of the saga had been expected to be finalised a week ago in Austin, but negotiations were still taking place when they were paused for the death of Dietrich Mateschitz.
A new press conference, almost certainly to conclude the saga and the details of the penalties, has been called by Red Bull for 11.30am local time in Mexico.
“It is inevitable that there will be a penalty,” Christian Klien, a former Red Bull driver, told Kronen Zeitung newspaper.
It is expected that the penalties will be a hefty fine and a potential 25 percent reduction in the team’s wind tunnel time for 2023.
When asked about that speculation, world champion Max Verstappen said in Mexico: “We don’t know until the things are decided.
“But also these are things that I’m not involved with.”
The Dutchman also hit back at the ongoing backlash he receives online from mostly Lewis Hamilton fans who think the seven time title winner is the deserving 2021 champion.
“They are sore anyway so it doesn’t matter what they say or what you do,” said Verstappen, who revealed that he has moved on from last season.
“Probably they can’t do that and they will never be able to, so that’s a problem for them to deal with.”
This weekend in Mexico, Verstappen has the chance to break Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel’s all-time record of 13 wins in a single season.
If he does that, Klien says “everything would have been achieved this year that could have been achieved”.
“Max may not give a damn about that, but as a team, you definitely want all those milestones.”
Indeed, another milestone would be Red Bull’s first-ever 1-2 finish in the drivers’ standings, which will require Sergio Perez finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc.
Mexican Perez, however, insists that he doesn’t want a “gift” win this weekend.
When asked what he will do if he is leading from Perez on Sunday, Verstappen answered: “I’m winning.
“In that case he is outscoring Charles anyway, so that’s all he needs. Anyway, first we have to be that competitive.”
(GMM)
