Marko lashes out at competition: 'Winning doesn't give you friends'

With Max Verstappen's second world title now a reality, you would expect the final four races of the 2022 season to be quiet. Nothing could be further from the truth, as the budget cap saga is hotly debated in the paddock. Red Bull Racing is waiting for feedback from the FIA.

After the Japanese Grand Prix, the FIA announced that Red Bull's team had exceeded the 2021 budget cap. This would be a minor breach of less than five per cent. Two weeks later, nothing is still known about the amount of the overshoot and the punishment that may follow for Red Bull.

Helmut Marko let Sky Germany know after the second practice session that the various rumours about the budget cap did not come from the FIA, but from the competition. " Winning does not give you friends," says the Red Bull adviser. Various amounts have already been mentioned. For instance, Red Bull is rumoured to have overspent by seven million in 2021, while other reports talk about two million again.

Christian Horner met today with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The two men discussed the budget cap overrun situation. No agreement is reportedly in sight yet. Marko confirmed that the team is waiting for feedback from the FIA. The Austrian would not reveal more yet, as talks are still ongoing.