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Lewis Hamilton tells F1 bosses Red Bull must NOT escape a budget cap with just a ‘slap on the wrist’ – as the Mercedes star insists other rivals will ‘spend MILLIONS more’ if rules are relaxed
- Lewis Hamilton warned not to let Red Bull go for budget violations
- Red Bull has passed the £114m budget cap, reportedly by around £1.8m
- McLaren chief Zak Brown, who wants strong action, said it’s ‘cheating’
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Lewis Hamilton has urged Formula 1 authorities not to let Red Bull go after violating the financial rules.
The champions builder spent more than the £114m budget cap last season, reportedly around £1.8million, and is waiting to see what sanction they face from the FIA governing body.
And Hamilton, a rival to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen – who sealed this season’s title earlier this month – warned of a light penalty for the offence, insisting it would set a dangerous precedent.
Lewis Hamilton urged F1 authorities not to lightly punish Red Bull after breaking financial rules
Red Bull went over budget last season, reportedly overspending £1.8m
He said: “I really believe the sport needs to do something about this because if the FIA is quite relaxed with these rules then all the teams will just move on. [the budget] and spend millions more.
‘Just getting a slap on the wrist is not good for the sport. They might as well not have a cost cap going forward.
‘I do believe [FIA president] Muhammad [Ben Sulayem] and his team will make the right decisions. I have to believe that. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt.
“I’m just focused on doing my best, and what they’ve done is done. I’m looking forward to it and see how I can win another world championship.”
Mercedes star Hamilton spoke before the United States Grand Prix this weekend
The FIA can hand out a reprimand, fine or even retrospective deduction of championship points.
The latest penalty could affect last season’s result, in which Verstappen denied Hamilton the championship at the campaign final in Abu Dhabi. The 2021 title is unlikely to be scrapped.
It is clear that the FIA has offered Red Bull an ‘accepted breach agreement’ that would see the team admit they made mistakes and lose the right of appeal.
However, it would also mean there is no chance of Verstappen getting championship points last season, when Red Bull took him to a hugely controversial title win on the last lap, leaving Hamilton the best by just eight points.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who won this season’s title in Japan two weeks ago, has insisted “they are trying to slow us down in every way possible”, without providing any evidence for his claims.
Red Bull could challenge the FIA’s decision, leaving the case before several independent judges, with the next possible move to the FIA International Court of Appeal. Both can lead to a more severe penalty.
The seven-time world champion’s comments come this weekend ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, the first race since Verstappen won his first legitimate title in Suzuka two weeks ago.
Verstappen said: “For our part, we have a strong belief that we were within the cost cap, so that’s why it keeps going. We are in talks with the FIA to show them what we think is right.
“We’ve done well and they’re trying to slow us down in every way they can, but that’s how F1 works. Everyone is hypocritical and I’m fine with that,” he said bizarrely.