The FIA has confirmed Aston Martin’s penalty for a procedural breach of the 2021 budget cap, with the team issued a fine of $450,000.
An Accepted Breach Agreement (ABA) was reached between Aston Martin and the FIA, after it was revealed earlier this month that Aston Martin had been at fault in the budget cap process.
The budget cap was carried out in Formula 1 for the first time last year, with all teams required to operate under a budget of $145 million.
While Aston Martin successfully did this, the issues surrounding its procedural breach lie within 12 separate areas, including costs relating to its new Silverstone factory, a new simulator, wind tunnel fees, catering and even the cost of desks and chairs.
Aston Martin has accepted that it breached Article 8.2(e) of F1’s Financial Regulations as it did not file accurate Full Year Reporting Documentation in respect of the 2021 Full Year Reporting Period because “the Reporting Documentation submitted by it included incorrect excluded and/or adjusted costs.”
Due to the terms of the ABA, the matter is not subject to appeal by Aston Martin.
The FIA outlined: “The Cost Cap Administration recognised that AMR has acted cooperatively and in good faith throughout the review process and has sought to provide additional information and evidence when requested in a timely manner, that this is the first year of the full application of the Financial Regulations and that there is no accusation or evidence that AMR has sought or obtained any undue advantage as a result of the breach. ”
The penalty was announced soon after Red Bull was also punished for breaching last year’s budget cap.
However, Red Bull was issued a more severe penalty as it was found guilty of a “minor” overspend of the cap, as well as a procedural breach.
The energy drink-backed squad was hit with a much more costly fine, and will have reduced aerodynamic testing in 2023.
