Marko still suspects leak at FIA: 'Teams had detailed knowledge'

Red Bull Racing has to pay a hefty fine as a result of exceeding the budget cap. In addition, the team will be hit by a ten per cent reduction in wind tunnel time over the next 12 months. Helmut Marko still finds it strange that some teams seemed to have detailed information about the breach.

"Many points were not considered by us in the argumentation. Points became relevant because there were rule changes at very short notice, so tax credits were not taken into account", Marko explains to Sky Germany.

The Red Bull advisor also reiterates that the team did not gain any advantage in the development and performance of the car. "We had a calculation of three million security where we thought nothing could actually happen. That was just not the case. Then 400,000 remained in the end. Maybe that is also because the rules are new. We didn't just have our own opinion. We always had it checked by certified accountants. They all said: yes, you are on the right side."

Marko therefore thinks the FIA wanted to set an example to the other teams. The message is clear: if the budget cap is exceeded, a team will be severely punished. The team's reputation can also suffer a lot of damage.

Nevertheless, the Austrian still finds it strange that rumours were already circulating in the paddock about Red Bull's breach in Singapore, while the team itself was not yet aware of the violation. "It can't be that two teams went public with detailed knowledge before we were informed."