The FIA has announced that Honda and Alpine have been found to be in “procedural breach” of Formula 1’s power unit cost cap rules, Afrosport reports.
The Motorsport racing governing body announced on Wednesday that it had completed its evaluation of the cost cap of all the current teams and engine manufacturers up until the end of December 31, 2023.
It stated that all 10 F1 constructors fully complied with the spending restrictions over the course of last year. The same did however not apply to all the engine manufacturers, with a statement as per Autosport, revealing that only Alpine and Honda failed to comply with the spending limits out of the four manufacturers.
“The CCA (Cost Cap Administration) confirms that although Alpine Racing SAS and HRC have both been found to be in procedural breach, neither have exceeded the Cost Cap level, read the statement.
“Both Alpine Racing SAS and HRC have acted at all times in good faith and are currently cooperating with the CCA to finalise the matter.
“Considering the nature of the breach, the complexities of the new Financial Regulations for PU (power unit) Manufacturers and the challenges associated with their first year of implementation it is the CCA’s intention to propose to these two PU Manufacturers to settle their respective breaches by means of an Accepted Breach Agreement (ABA).”
The cost cap regulations for power units (from 2023) set a spending limit of $140.4 million. Manufacturers who have applied to compete in F1 from 2026, will have to comply with the rules before their official entry.
Penalties for procedural breaches of the cost cap are usually financial, with Aston Martin and Williams being the first offenders when the rules became official in 2022.
