Steiner wants big cap penalties: "If penalties are big enough, you don't do it"

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has called for big penalties being in order if teams are to ever break the cost cap rules from next year onwards, as he argues teams simply won't break the rules if the penalties are big enough.

Each team will have its budget capped at $175 million from 2021 onwards, a budget that impacts all things performance-related (except for power unit development).

While this won't change much for a small team like Haas, who already operate well within $175 million, it will have a big impact on the bigger teams at the front of the grid. 

For those big teams to actually run within the cost cap, Haas boss Steiner is certain having a hard penalty system would keep everyone in check, as you take all incentive away to break the rules.

"I’m very confident because how does the IRS [tax collector in the USA] do it?" Steiner was quoted as saying by RaceFans.net.

"I always go back to that one. And then if the penalties are big enough that if you get caught, that you don’t do it.

"If you do it with the IRS, you know where you go (prison for tax evasion) – I mean, we cannot do that one but the penalties need to be sporting and financially this big that people don’t do it."

While drawing a comparison with the IRS, who send people to prison for tax evasion, might be a bit extreme, Steiner could be on to something in his remarks. If the penalties for breaking cost cap rules are broken and a severe penalty is handed out, either a significant points deduction or a suspension of some kind, this could discourage teams from even attempting to find ways around the rules.