Sometimes all you need is a good slice of pizza to slow things down. But what happens when that Italian delight intersects with a whopping $7,000,000 penalty? Fans were in stitches when Sergio Perez took his Red Bull garage out for pizza to thank them for their hard work, cheekily suggesting this could be the team’s next Cost Cap breach. Let’s not forget, this light-hearted jest stems from a very serious financial saga involving Max Verstappen & Co. and the FIA. Talk about dough, right?

RBR had to cough up $7 million to the FIA over a cost cap breach last year. This wasn’t just a slap on the wrist; it was a significant fine coupled with a 10% reduction in allocated restricted wind tunnel testing and restricted CFD limits. The transgression happened despite financial regulations being designed to level the playing field, ensuring that big-budget teams can’t buy their way to the podium. All this financial drama unfolded just as the team seemed invincible on the track, especially after Verstappen’s phenomenal 2022 season where he secured the championship title.

After falling behind teammate Max Verstappen in both races and qualifying this season, Sergio Perez seemed to have been heading into the Italian GP in a less-than-ideal form. An oil leak during his final practice forced the Mexican into qualifying ‘blind.’ Yet, the real surprise came pre-qualifying. To thank his team for their hard work, Checo took them all out for pizza. The irony? Fans immediately took to social media to jest, that Red Bull Racing better watch their finances, or else they’re heading for another Cost Cap breach. It’s as if, amid millions in penalties and procedural hiccups, a box of pizza could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Hilarious, isn’t it?

The fan perspective—Pizza and Cost Caps

Fans make or break the atmosphere in sports, and F1 aficionados are no exception. With Red Bull’s history of breaching financial regulations, fans are in overdrive, cooking up theories that range from plausible to downright hilarious. When Sergio Perez decided to treat his crew to pizza, he inadvertently became the centerpiece of some brilliant fan quips. The joke? This pizza outing would be “the reason they’ll breach the cost cap again.”

Read more: Despite Hamilton’s Brutal Insults, Perez Sets Ego Aside to Take Second Place Behind Verstappen

If fan humor is any indicator, we’re in for an entertaining ride. So, whether it’s team strategy or topping choices, here’s to hoping RBR stays under the cap—in more ways than one!

One can only wonder: What’s next on the menu for Red Bull Racing?

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