F1 LIVE: Red Bull wait anxiously with cost cap verdict set to be revealed today

No official news from the FIA yet on the highly-anticipated cost-cap findings for 2021, though we are expecting an update in the next two hours.

A reminder of what’s at stake here:

Formula 1 installed the sport’s first-ever budget cap in 2021, set at $145m (£114m).

Minor breach = overspend of less than 5%. Penalties could be:

– Deduction of Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship points

– Suspension form one of more stages of a competition

– Limitations on ability to conduct aerodynamic or other testing

– Reduction of the cost cap

Major breach – overspend of more than 5%. Penalties could be:

– Deduction of Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship points

– Suspension form one of more stages of a competition

– Suspension from an entire competition

– Exclusion from the Championship

– Reduction of the Cost Cap

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won last year’s World Championship by eight points to Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

At 9:50am (BST) this morning, FIA said it would update “regarding timelines for the financial regulations compliance process in next couple of hours.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has accused rival boss Toto Wolff of “hugely defamatory, fictitious claims” and threatened legal action against Mercedes.

In a fiery, and tense press conference on Saturday, Horner insisted he is “absolutely confident” Red Bull did not overspend as Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to last year’s controversial championship.

Horner also suggested the accusations that Red Bull broke F1’s budget cap have been planted to take the spotlight away from Verstappen, who could claim his second title in as many seasons on Sunday. On Friday, Wolff demanded Formula One’s governing FIA takes robust action if Red Bull have broken the rules. Ferrari have also complained publicly.

Responding, Horner said: “We were a little bit taken aback by the comments from our two rival teams. The submissions between the team and the FIA is confidential, and I have no idea what the outcome of our rivals’ submission is so I would be intrigued to know where their source of information for these fictitious claims has come from.”

Max Verstappen has another opportunity to claim his second world title this weekend as Formula 1 returns to Suzuka for the first time since 2019 for the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Red Bull star – 104 points clear of Charles Leclerc in the standings – will be crowned champion in Japan if he wins and sets the fastest lap on Sunday.

Verstappen is looking to bounce back after a disappointing weekend in Singapore, finishing seventh, while his team-mate Sergio Perez claimed victory. Leclerc came home second, with Carlos Sainz in third.

Lewis Hamilton also endured a difficult Sunday in the rain of Singapore, finishing ninth after crashing into the barriers, while Mercedes team-mate George Russell came home in last place. Hamilton, still looking for his first win of the season, is a five-time winner in Japan.

Here is everything you need to know.

When and where is the next race?

Formula 1 returns to the famous Suzuka circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend – and it’s an early start for European fans.

First and second practice takes place at 4am and 7am (BST) respecively on Friday, before third practice at 4am on Saturday and qualifying at 7am (BST).

The race on Sunday starts at 6am (BST).

As much as last year’s unparalleled spectacle in an F1 season for the ages was characterised by Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s fierce battles on track, accusations and rebuttals in the paddock from the bosses at centre-stage made for narratives equally as engrossing as the action on the road.

Christian Horner and Toto Wolff were at each other’s throats essentially from Silverstone last July all the way to Abu Dhabi and the controversy that concluded the 2021 melodrama. War of words, bordering on trash talk, epitomised the high-stake nature of what was at play as Red Bull hunted down the Mercedes juggernaut. The impact, in reality, was felt by Michael Masi’s fumbled judgement, which swung the title Verstappen’s way and, if nothing else, had bosses at Netflix salivating at the mouth.

This year, by contrast and amid Red Bull’s domination and Mercedes’ shortcomings, has been tame and timid. Until Singapore this past weekend, that is. Before Friday’s practice sessions at Marina Bay, murmurs of cost-cap breaches quickly spread around the paddock, with two teams rumoured to have fallen foul of F1’s inaugural year of financial measures in 2021: Red Bull and Aston Martin.

Wolff, notably downbeat this year given Mercedes’ race-by-race failings, did not need a second invitation. Like a predator waiting in the shadows, the Mercedes CEO came out firing: “It’s been weeks and months they’re [Red Bull] being investigated, so maybe he [Horner] doesn’t speak to his CFO.”

Wolff went on to emphasise how exceeding the $145m (£114m) budget for 2021 would have a subsequent impact and advantage for this year and beyond. The latest development on Monday suggests Wolff could U-turn on initial plans not to travel to Japan, with the fallout expected to engulf the pit lane in Suzuka later this week with the FIA set to reveal on Wednesday if any teams have failed to comply.

Upon hearing Wolff’s statements – and similar quotes from Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto – a seething Horner came out swinging: “The (comments from other teams) are hugely defamatory and we take umbrage to them. One can only assume it’s not coincidental that this is at a point where Max has his first strike at the world championship.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has demanded Formula One’s governing body the FIA take robust action over reports Red Bull broke the rules when Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to last year’s world championship.

On the eve of the Singapore Grand Prix – a race which could see Verstappen secure his second title in as many seasons – his controversial maiden triumph is under the microscope amid allegations his Red Bull team overspent.

F1 introduced a budget cap of $145million (£114m) last year. But Verstappen’s Red Bull are facing accusations – reported in Auto Motor und Sport and Gazzetta Dello Sport – that they went beyond that figure, potentially by up to five per cent, which would equate to £7m.

The FIA are assessing Red Bull’s finances with a verdict set to be revealed on Wednesday. Sanctions available to the sporting federation range from financial penalties to a deduction of drivers’ championship points. The latter could have an impact on last season’s result. Hamilton was denied a record eighth crown when he was beaten by Verstappen at a deeply contentious winner-takes-all finale in Abu Dhabi on December 12. Verstappen took the title by eight points.

Speaking on Friday evening, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said he was not aware of any breach. But rival boss Wolff urged the FIA, and its president Mohammed ben Sulayem – elected in the days after the Abu Dhabi fiasco – to follow the rules.

Ex-Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher has labelled Toto Wolff a “sore loser” after the Mercedes team principal criticised Red Bull for potentially breaking the budget cap. Wolff hit out at his rivals at the recent Singapore F1 after reports described how Christian Horner’s team broke the cap last year.

The 2021 season saw a controversial end with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen’s snatching the world championship from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in the last few laps. Wolff’s comments has signalled to Schumacher that the team boss is not over the outcome of the season.

“No matter what comes out: for me, Toto Wolff, with his harsh criticism, is rather the sore loser who has not yet digested the fact that he lost the 2021 World Championship,” Schumacher told Sky Germany. “I think that’s a shame. What is clear, however, is that the cost cap must be adhered to. If that wasn’t the case, then of course there must be a penalty.

“The basic structure has definitely been shaken.The FIA has to investigate itself, because it must not and cannot happen that something slips out. What is happening here is only damaging Formula 1 and only the world governing body itself can be to blame.”

Mattia Binotto, team principal at Ferrari, fears that Formula 1’s “credibility is at stake” as the FIA prepares to announce if any teams have breached the budget cap.

Rumours in the last week have suggested that two manufacturers may have exceeded the cost cap limit, with Red Bull and Aston Martin both denying speculation that they had overspent. Mercedes and Ferrari have said that they believe that one team has marginally breached the cap and another by a more significant figure.

The sport’s financial regulations define a minor breach as one less than 5% of the cap, set at $145m (£114m) in 2021, and a material one as more than that. But Binotto is certain that even a minor breach should be taken seriously.

“It’s definitely a shame that we are talking about it in October of the following season, because at this point, apart from implications on last year’s championship, there are also implications for the current one,” the Ferrari team principal told Sky Italia.

“Let’s wait until Wednesday before making a judgement but, whatever amount we are talking about, it’s important to understand that even if it is four million, which falls into the category of what is considered a minor breach, four million is not minor.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is considering an unscheduled trip to Japan this weekend to confront the fallout from the much-anticipated cost cap row that is consuming Formula One.

The FIA is set to reveal on Wednesday if any teams have failed to comply with last season’s £114million budget. Red Bull has faced unproven allegations that they broke the financial rules as they carried Max Verstappen to his championship win over Lewis Hamilton in 2021.

Wolff has called on the FIA to take robust action against any team that overspent. Christian Horner said he is confident Red Bull are not in breach and accused Wolff of “hugely defamatory, fictitious claims”. The Red Bull team principal also threatened legal proceedings against Mercedes during a toxic weekend in Singapore.

The F1 circus now heads to Japan – a destination where Verstappen will take his second consecutive title with four rounds to spare if he wins and sets the fastest lap. In an interview with the PA news agency on Friday night, Wolff said it was his intention not to travel to Suzuka – missing his first race since 2019 and only his second in nine years amid the sport’s demanding schedule. But it is understood the Austrian, 50, could change his travel plans, depending on the FIA’s verdict.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has accused rival boss Toto Wolff of “hugely defamatory, fictitious claims” and threatened legal action against Mercedes amid the cheat row overshadowing this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

In a fiery, and tense press conference on Saturday, Horner insisted he is “absolutely confident” Red Bull did not overspend as Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to last year’s controversial championship.

Horner also suggested the accusations that Red Bull broke F1’s budget cap have been planted to take the spotlight away from Verstappen, who could claim his second title in as many seasons on Sunday. On Friday, Wolff demanded Formula One’s governing FIA takes robust action if Red Bull have broken the rules. Ferrari have also complained publicly.

Responding, Horner said: “We were a little bit taken aback by the comments from our two rival teams. The submissions between the team and the FIA is confidential, and I have no idea what the outcome of our rivals’ submission is so I would be intrigued to know where their source of information for these fictitious claims has come from.

“They are hugely defamatory, and one can only assume that it is not a coincidence that this comes at a point where Max has his first strike at a world championship. We are here talking about cost caps rather than the phenomenal performance Max has had this year. It is an under-hand tactic employed to detract from perhaps a lack of performance on track from our rivals.”

As much as last year’s unparalleled spectacle in an F1 season for the ages was characterised by Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s fierce battles on track, accusations and rebuttals in the paddock from the bosses at centre-stage made for narratives equally as engrossing as the action on the road.

Christian Horner and Toto Wolff were at each other’s throats essentially from Silverstone last July all the way to Abu Dhabi and the controversy that concluded the 2021 melodrama. War of words, bordering on trash talk, epitomised the high-stake nature of what was at play as Red Bull hunted down the Mercedes juggernaut. The impact, in reality, was felt by Michael Masi’s fumbled judgement, which swung the title Verstappen’s way and, if nothing else, had bosses at Netflix salivating at the mouth.

This year, by contrast and amid Red Bull’s domination and Mercedes’ shortcomings, has been tame and timid. Until Singapore this past weekend, that is. Before Friday’s practice sessions at Marina Bay, murmurs of cost-cap breaches quickly spread around the paddock, with two teams rumoured to have fallen foul of F1’s inaugural year of financial measures in 2021: Red Bull and Aston Martin.

Wolff, notably downbeat this year given Mercedes’ race-by-race failings, did not need a second invitation. Like a predator waiting in the shadows, the Mercedes CEO came out firing: “It’s been weeks and months they’re [Red Bull] being investigated, so maybe he [Horner] doesn’t speak to his CFO.”

Wolff went on to emphasise how exceeding the $145m (£114m) budget for 2021 would have a subsequent impact and advantage for this year and beyond. The latest development on Monday suggests Wolff could U-turn on initial plans not to travel to Japan, with the fallout expected to engulf the pit lane in Suzuka later this week with the FIA set to reveal on Wednesday if any teams have failed to comply.

Upon hearing Wolff’s statements – and similar quotes from Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto – a seething Horner came out swinging: “The (comments from other teams) are hugely defamatory and we take umbrage to them. One can only assume it’s not coincidental that this is at a point where Max has his first strike at the world championship.”

Horner insists he is “confident” in Red Bull’s submission. Verstappen also implored rival teams to “keep their mouths shut”. Wishful thinking, it has to be said. Because while all the adulation should be headed the Dutchman’s way, if he wraps up his inevitable second world title this week, instead the focus will be on his team falling foul of the rules should the findings on Wednesday say so.