Since the introduction of the budget cap, teams have had to pay close attention to their spending. At Red Bull Racing, this rule may cause problems, as it employs people who earn a lot of money and only the three biggest earners are not covered by the budget cap. Adrian Newey falls under those three big earners, so he may have to take a step back.

This is not the first time Red Bull has had concerns due to the budget cap. In 2022, it was revealed that the Austrian racing stable had exceeded the cost cap in 2021. Max Verstappen 's team was fined and given less time to develop in the wind tunnel.

Is Newey taking a step back for Red Bull?

The budget cap may cause problems again, but this could be resolved. Auto Motor und Sport reports that Newey plans to concentrate entirely on the RB17 in the medium term. This is a hypercar that would also run on the road. This ensures that the master designer will no longer be one of the three big earners, leaving room for someone else to be among the three big earners. This could already save a lot of money and this will prevent people like Pierre Waché from being snatched away by other teams.

Red Bull's competitors think Newey could also help the Austrian team with the RB17. However, top adviser Helmut Marko says this is not the case: "Our opponents interpret it to mean that the underside of the RB17 provides information for the Formula 1 car, which of course is complete nonsense. That's why we have to find a solution."