F1 teams will miss races unless budget cap raised  

FORMULA 1 teams will be forced to miss races this season unless the sport’s budget cap is increased, says Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

The current budget limit is US$140 m.

“Seven of the teams would probably need to miss the last four races to come within the cap this year,” he said.

“It’s not just about the big teams. It’s teams in the middle of the field who are really struggling with inflationary issues.”

Horner, whose Red Bull team lead the drivers’ championship, through Max Verstappen, as well as the constructors’ championship, said F1’s governing body the FIA “needs to address” the problem.

He added: “The FIA has a duty of care. I know they are taking it seriously.

“Energy bills, costs of living, costs are going exponentially, and F1 is not exempt. Freight has quadrupled and that’s not something we can control.”

Horner’s position is backed by title rivals Ferrari, world champions Mercedes and McLaren. But the Alfa Romeo, Alpine, Haas and Williams teams all voted against a proposal for an inflationary adjustment based on International Monetary Fund inflation figures when it was proposed last month at an F1 Commission meeting of teams, the FIA and commercial rights holder F1. – bbc.com