Steiner calls for Red Bull consequences as Haas announce title sponsor

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner added his voice on Thursday to those calling for Red Bull to face “consequences” if they gained an advantage by breaking Formula One’s budget cap last year.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix where the American-owned Haas outfit announced a new title sponsorship deal with MoneyGram, to start next season, Steiner said: “There are regulations and they have to be followed.

“There must be consequences.”

Red Bull were named by F1’s ruling body, the International Motoring Federation, on October 10 as having exceeded the sport’s $145 million spending limit, but without giving further details.

The FIA said the breach of the rules had been “minor” and has yet to announce any punishment.

Steiner admitted that he was uncertain how Red Bull had overspent and how close the team was to the ‘minor’ threshold of five per cent, believed to be around seven million dollars.

But, he told RTL: “I think the FIA must take action.

“It doesn’t have to be tomorrow, but it does need to be worked through so we set a sign for the future that no one else can do it or that you don’t just get an advantage by breaking rules and paying a fine.”

McLaren manager Andreas Seidl, whose boss Zak Brown wrote to the FIA claiming a budget cap breach “constitutes cheating”, had earlier told Sport Bild magazine that the “events cast a bad light on the sport… Clear violations must be clearly punished.”

Brown’s letter was leaked and reported widely last Monday, sparking speculation that Red Bull could face a range of possible sanctions that might include fines and the loss of the 2021 drivers’ title won by Max Verstappen, who clinched his second title in Japan two weeks ago.

For Haas, Thursday’s multi-year sponsorship contract brings welcome optimism after their previous major deal with Uralkali was terminated before this season began following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

MoneyGram is a leading American payments and money transfer company.

“We are pleased to welcome an incredible brand like MoneyGram as our new title sponsor,” said team founder Gene Haas.

McLaren also made a sponsorship announcement on Thursday by revealing a deal with Seamless Digital which will see the team trial the use of digital stickers on their cars during the final four practice sessions this season.

On a busy Thursday morning at the Circuit of the Americas, McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo, who leaves the team at the end of the season, chose to arrive on horseback.

The Australian had a guitarist and singer with him.

Ricciardo has been linked with a move to Haas next year, but has suggested he feels a need to take a year off to “reset” himself for a possible return to F1 in 2024.