'Red Bull suspended updates in 2022 because of budget cap issue'

Red Bull Racing had initially planned updates for the final three months of the 2022 Formula 1 season but decided to suspend them, according to Italian Formu1a.uno to suspend them for fear of exceeding the budget cap. The ensuing uproar surrounding the 2021 budget cap is said to have even led the team to decide not to introduce any upgrades anymore this year.

'Red Bull delayed updates for fear of breach'

After the summer break, there was talk of a lighter chassis, which Red Bull had planned to introduce at Monza. However, the update did not materialise and the team decided to scrap it altogether for this year. Moreover, the team's lead in both championships was so great that major updates were also completely unnecessary. Most likely, though, we will see the lighter chassis on the 2023 Red Bull car.

Apart from the chassis, several updates to the side and floor of the RB18 would also have been shelved. That the focus at Red Bull shifted to next year's car some time ago is clear, but the issue surrounding the budget ceiling is also said to have played a role in the decision to shelve updates.

According to the Italian media outlet, the team decided to stop introducing updates altogether after the Singapore Grand Prix, when the story exploded, because of the issue. This while the last few races of the season would actually provide a good opportunity to test aerodynamic updates for 2023, given the very limited testing time teams have.