'Ecclestone was essential in determining penalty Red Bull'

Bernie Ecclestone is said to have played a major role in the budget cap negotiations between Red Bull Racing and the FIA. The Italian newspaper reported that Corriere della Sera. Ecclestone is said to have been closely involved in the talks because of his personal connections with both sides.

Ecclestone owned Formula 1 for almost 40 years until 2017. Although he has had no official role in the sport since then, he is very much involved in the ins and outs of Formula 1. His wife Fabiana Flosi is currently vice-president of the FIA, putting her on the second-highest step of the staircase within the organisation. She was given this role in 2021, at the same time as new FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. In both cases, Ecclestone would have played a crucial role in the election.

Being involved in the sport for so long, Ecclestone has also maintained good ties with the various team bosses, and Christian Horner specifically. The Red Bull team boss has long been good friends with Ecclestone. It is said to be this friendship that would allow Ecclestone to be involved in negotiating a penalty after Red Bull Racing exceeded its 2021 budget cap.

According to Corriere della Sera, Ecclestone would have been involved behind the scenes in negotiating a penalty, given his good ties with both Horner and Ben Sulayem. Ecclestone is said to have been a mediator between the two parties, and thus essential in bringing about the seven-million-euro fine and reduced testing time in the wind tunnel. Several teams, including Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren, felt the penalty was too lenient.