Zak Brown: Talk of teams missing races due to budget cap is 'empty threats'

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown does not see a scenario where teams will miss races in 2022 due to the budget cap.

Several teams are calling for action regarding the budget cap due to high levels of inflation, claiming that it will not be possible to adhere to it this season due to unexpected costs outside of their control.

McLaren principal Andreas Seidl has already said that the team expect to exceed the 2022 cap, initially set at $140m.

However, with the likes of Red Bull’s Christian Horner warning that many teams may have to sit out races if no agreement is reached, Brown firmly dismissed such suggestions.

“We’re all going to race because there are contracts that oblige us to do so,” Brown is quoted as having told German broadcaster ntv.

“We have sponsors who expect that. I can’t imagine a scenario where a team ends the season prematurely. I don’t believe that for a second, it’s just empty threats.”

Without referring to anyone specifically, Brown added: “I would like some people to place more value on credibility when making statements or expressing opinions like that, then they could be taken more seriously.”

Nonetheless, Brown fully supports the calls for FIA intervention.

Like Seidl, he too confirmed that McLaren are set to overspend and called on all parties to reach a “sensible solution”.

“We will break the budget ceiling,” Brown confirmed.

“We saved as much as we could when developing the car and really tried to stay under the limit, but then inflation hit and costs exploded for transportation, for energy.

“The FIA now has to think about how to deal with the problem, and then we have to see how we can solve it for the future. We all have to work together to find a fair and sensible solution.”

Not every team is united though on the desire for the budget cap to be addressed.

Haas for example are not in favour of altering it, while Alfa Romeo boss Frederic Vasseur said that if teams are concerned, then they should switch off their wind tunnels.

Brown though is not quite sure where the logic is coming from for teams to oppose changes.

“I don’t understand, we all have the same problem, the same increased costs,” he said. “So all the teams should exceed the limit by about the same amount.

“If they don’t, some might be trying to take advantage of the situation.”

 

 

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