Just days after Charles Leclerc’s accident in Hungary, where his SF21 suffered substantial damage when it was crashed into by Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin; (Ferrari’s team principal, Mattia Binotto, has spoken about the financial consequences of this type of incidents.
This season has been marked by the coming into force of a sharp reduction in the teams’ budget (145 million dollars per year) and the Swiss engineer has pointed out the need to review the stringent spending control regulations.
Binotto suggests that the teams of those drivers which have been found to be unequivocally guilty of causing an accident by the FIA, should be the ones to foot the bill for all the damaged caused.
“I think there is value for discussions in the near future with the other team principals, FIA and F1. Obviously if you’re not guilty, having such damage in the budget cap is something which is even more of a consequence now”– Said Binotto.
“But I think that what we may consider is that if a driver is faulty, the team of the driver should pay at least to the other teams for the damages and repairs. That will make the drivers more responsible.”
Binotto, however, has taken a slightly different point of view from that of the Austrian team:
“Should we add exemptions? I’m not sure that’s the solution. I think it may be very difficult to be policed”.
Binotto came out to the press after it became apparent that the second engine of the Monegasque driver would need to be replaced as a result the damaged sustained by his car on the first lap of the Hungarian GP. Following current regulations, in using their fourth engine, the team from Maranello will have to be penalized in the subsequent starting grid.
Ferrari joins Red Bull in its protest
Binotto’s claims have now joined the numerous complaints of Red Bull regarding the touchy subject of accident-induced expenses. Just two weeks after having to face a 1,5 million euro bill to repair Verstappen’s car following the accident at the British GP, the Brackley team has been dealt another financial blow.
At the last GP in Hungary, Checo Perez’ RB16B suffered a side crash that has seriously damaged its engine, most likely beyond repair.
Team principal, Christian Horner has since protested on several occasions about the unfairness of it all and Red Bull has suggested that this types of expenses should not be part of the year’s fixed budget allowance. An opinion not shared by Ferrari.
Images: F1.com.
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