Things are heating up as we head to the Singapore GP, where Red Bull man Max Verstappen can secure his second title. However, the high temperatures have got little to do with the tropical conditions. Instead, it’s because of a looming scandal within the paddock as Ferrari and Mercedes keep their ears to the ground.

According to reports, the FIA is opening an investigation against two teams for exceeding the budget cap. These two teams in question are Aston Martin and last year’s drivers’ championship winning team, Red Bull.

Red Bull racing apparently exceeded the limit of $148.6 million in 2021, the first year the rule came into effect.

The Silver Arrows narrowly missed out on another double championship coup in 2021, as Ferrari is set to lose out on the 2022 championship. An additional $5 million spent can roughly translate to gaining half a second on the track. With the budget cap rule relatively new, the penalization process is still ambiguous.

However, both Mercedes and Ferrari will want harsh penalties for every extra dollar spent. The two potential outcomes are points deduction and demotion in the championship. Another, arguably less favored, will be a deduction in the cap the following year.

However, both Mercedes and Ferrari would want to agree with the latter for two reasons. First, Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton could effectively claim the 2021 championship away from Max Verstappen. Second, both Ferrari and Mercedes believe Red Bull has exceeded the cap in the current campaign as well.

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Hamilton claiming the 2021 championship will further fuel the fire to the controversial end of the 2021 season. Red Bull started developing the 2022 chassis in 2021 is Ferrari’s go-to concern.

Budget cap drama reaches new highs with Mercedes and Ferrari waiting to see Red Bull penalized

The budget cap drama is picking up traction currently because of its delayed unveiling of the figures. The competition fears the delayed response is to avoid a scandal.

However, a scandal might be inevitable if it’s revealed that Red Bull exceeded the budget cap in 2021. All shall come to light as the FIA will reportedly come out with a statement next week.

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A lot of things, including the penalty for exceeding the budget cap, should be revealed in the statement. Ferrari, Mercedes, and especially Red Bull will wait patiently for the statement, as will the world of Formula 1.