Formula One's top teams all risk penalties for breaking the budget cap this season due to inflation and spiralling costs and the sport needs to act, Red Bull boss Christian Horner said on Saturday.
Representatives of Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes told reporters at the Monaco Grand Prix that it was becoming impossible to stay within limits in what they said was a force majeure situation.
“I think certainly all the major teams are going to breach that $140m cap this year,” said Horner, who warned last weekend that teams would need to miss up to four races to come in under the cost cap. “We're seeing utility bills going through the roof. Where is that going to go in the next six months? We do need the FIA to take early action on this.”
Alfa Romeo boss Frederic Vasseur rejected the force majeure argument and said the best solution was for top teams to switch off their wind tunnels and stop bringing developments to every race.