Mattia Binotto sees the postponement of the FIA’s conclusions on the 2021 budget cap as bad news. Displaying his pessimism, the director of Ferrari seems to be preparing for an outcome without seeing any sanctions fall and is waiting first and foremost for clarity from the international body, while rumors have been circulating for a week regarding a hypothetical non-compliance by Red Bull et Aston Martin the cap of $146.2 million last year.
The two teams have expressed their astonishment and claim to be in compliance with the requirements of the Financial Regulations, but the decision of the FIA expected last Wednesday and finally postponed to Monday October 10 has only increased the doubts. For Mattia Binotto, this delay shows that “points are unclear and still need to be defined” in the manner of auditing the accounts of the stables.
“There are points that the FIA is contesting, and the team is trying to defend itself”he says to Sky Italia without ever directly naming Red Bull or Aston Martin. “Regardless of what comes out of it, and I’m afraid it’s like snow melting in the sun, I think [qu’il faut] that all of these decisions, the way the rules were interpretedthat [la FIA] granted – because they will certainly have granted something -, that everything comes out in a clear and transparent way.”
Mattia Binotto insists that all parties must be made aware of the discussions between the FIA and any team suspected of having exceeded the cap, whether to understand the advantage it may have brought but also to have a better vision of how to interpret the regulations in the future: “We must know what the discussions were, what was granted to them, because above all it is a direct advantage. Secondly, we must also understand how to interpret the regulations”.
“The rules were clear from the start, they were discussed”he recalls once more. “We do not understand the need to have to change them today, beyond the fact that it is the first year with the budget cap. Because with the FIA, there have always been constant exchanges and we have always tried to clarify them. I’m a bit pessimistic regarding that, but first and foremost, clarity and transparency from the FIA will be important.”
As the Japanese Grand Prix takes place this weekend, Red Bull leaders maintain their version of the facts and do not deviate from what has been said publicly since the affair broke out in Singapore.
“We were also expecting the certificates on Wednesday, we were hoping for them, but it has been postponed for all the teams”notes the director of Red Bull, Christian Horner, with Sky Sports. “The FIA has obviously made this choice. We are waiting with interest to see what will happen on Monday. But once once more, we think we have absolutely respected the budget ceiling, the regulations. We are satisfied with what we have presented. , and we’re waiting to find out what’s going on.”
