Red Bull and Aston Martin found guilty: what steps can they take?

The FIA is going to penalise Red Bull Racing for exceeding the budget cap. Aston Martin can also expect a punishment for a procedural error. What can both teams do if they receive a penalty they disagree with?

Earlier this month it was revealed that Red Bull probably did not act according to the regulations in 2021, but on Monday night the FIA only confirmed the news. It means the Austrian formation will have to wait and see in the coming months what the organisation thinks is a proper punishment.

To Verstappen's world title, the FIA does not seem to care. Earlier this year, Williams made another procedural error and was fined €25,000 for it. Whereas Aston Martin seems to be counting on a similar penalty, Red Bull has to reckon with more.

Options for Red Bull and Aston Martin

Both teams have several options. For one, they have the option of agreeing to the penalty being given. In that case, Red Bull and Aston Martin will sign an Accepted Breach Agreement (ABA), after which the FIA will come out with the news and the matter is settled.

Certainly with Red Bull, however, it seems more logical for it to appeal. The team of Verstappen and Sergio Perez indicated in a statement that it wants to fight for acquittal, making any punishment for the racing stable seem unacceptable. The teams have a number of options in front of them.

If Aston Martin and Red Bull disagree with the FIA, they can appeal. In that case, the Cost Cap Adjudication Panel will look at the case and collectively vote on where the right lies. The majority will then decide what the verdict will be.

If either party then still disagrees, the International Court of Appeal can be called in. This is part of the FIA itself and also has the ability to investigate the situation. The CAS is the last resort, but it seems very unlikely that it will come to that.