FIA told to hand Max Verstappen’s title to…
FIA bosses have been urged to strip Max Verstappen of his world title and hand it to Lewis Hamilton if Red Bull are found to have breached F1’s budget cap. It comes after rumours suggest Red Bull could have overspent on last year’s allowance, causing uproar in the paddock.
F1 fans have demanded action be taken if it emerges Red Bull broke the rules to gain an advantage. In an exclusive poll for Express Sport, 69 per cent of 22,000 voters said Hamilton should be made 2021 champion if Red Bull broke the rules.
Just 28 per cent said the Mercedes star should not be awarded the crown despite missing out in the final race. If points were deducted, over 70 per cent of readers also said Verstappen’s 2021 points should be affected instead of this season’s tally.
Verstappen has dominated the season so far with the Dutchman securing 11 wins compared to last year’s nail-biting competition. However, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has claimed any overspend would likely affect three seasons.
He explained: “The crucial part is that if you’ve been over in ’21 then you’ll be over in ’22 and you’ll have an advantage for ’23. If it’s true they’ve homologated a lightweight chassis this year then they may use it next year. It’s a cascade of events that can be influential in all three championships.”
Ferrari and Mercedes held talks over the weekend as the rumours continued to emerge. Initial reports from Auto Motor und Sport claimed Red Bull may have exceeded the cap by as much as £9million ($10mil).
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This would have been enough for Red Bull to receive major penalties including the loss of points and possible expulsion from the championship.
But, reports from the Daily Mail now suggest this value was overblown with the true number possibly closer to £1million. This would see Verstappen hold onto his Drivers’ Championship with Red Bull only hit with a fine.
Red Bull denied the rumours of any wrongdoing as “speculation” with Horner also hitting back at the team’s rivals. He branded the allegations as defamatory” and has even threatened legal action if the remarks are not withdrawn.
