According to a report from Corriere dello Sport, Mercedes and Red Bull are among the teams that want an extra $5 million added to their budget to account for sprint qualifying.
These teams hold the top two places in the Constructors’ standings from last year, with Red Bull and Mercedes seeking additional resources to account for any potential damage caused in the six qualifying races, which cover one-third of the race distance.
The budget cap for Formula 1 teams is set to drop by $5 million to $140 million in 2022, but the two frontrunners are reportedly fighting to keep it at the same level as last season to cover any damage costs.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has expressed his objection to the sport’s budget cap being raised to account for the six proposed sprint qualifying sessions in 2022, but claims that “certain teams” are campaigning for additional funding.
“Some teams still look for excuses to raise the cost cap and win World Championships with chequebooks,” Brown wrote in a pre-season column on McLaren’s website.
“The ongoing lobbying by certain teams to increase the cost cap for sprint race damage is a continuing example.”
“The Saturday sprint race initiative by Formula 1 has added new viewers and raised the profile of the sport to expand its global fanbase.”
“However, these teams continue to demand a raise to the cost cap by an inordinate amount of money, despite the clear evidence that little damage was incurred during these races last year, in a thinly veiled attempt to protect from their competitive advantage being eroded.”
The McLaren went on to say that the budget cap dispute is threatening whether sprints will take place in 2022 at all, citing a recent report from Motorsport.com that said teams had been offered an extra $500,000, significantly less than the teams’ hopes.
