Luke Davies
The FIA has released a statement after an F1 team committed a “very minor” financial rule breach.
The issue relates to the cost cap, which has been in place since 2021.
Essentially, the cap places a spending limit on the amount each team can spend in a season.
Before 2021, there were no spending restrictions, but the rule was enforced with the idea of closing the gap between the so-called high and low spenders and to "ensure the long-term viability of the Championship and encourage convergence in performance between Competitors, thus creating more exciting racing".
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The cap began at $140 million in 2022 before reducing to $135 million for 2023. In 2026, the cap will increase to $215 million.
On Tuesday (October 28), the FIA published its latest cost cap review, which stated that all but one of the current teams complied in 2024, with just AMR GP Ltd (Aston Martin) in breach.
Part of the audit read: “The CCA confirms that although AMR has been found to be in Procedural Breach, it has not exceeded the Cost Cap level, and that the Procedural Breach was of a very minor nature, originated by unpredictable circumstances outside the control of the F1 Team. AMR and FIA have entered an ABA on 29 September 2025 to resolve the matter.”
As relayed by GP Fans, the Cost Cap Administration (CCA) offered the team an Accepted Breach Agreement (ABA) to resolve the issue, which was accepted by Aston Martin.
Aston Martin has not received any financial sanction due to the ‘exceptional’ and ‘unpredictable’ circumstances associated with the minor breach.
The CCA also confirmed that there is nothing to suggest Aston Martin tried to gain a competitive advantage due to the breach.
Just one team has failed to meet the cost cap previously, when Red Bull overspent by five percent in 2021. As a result, the team was fined $7 million and received a 10 percent reduction in wind tunnel and CFD testing.
In short, the CCA is responsible for overseeing and monitoring compliance with Financial Regulations.
The body can also launch investigations and take appropriate action if rules are alleged to have been breached.
If no ABA agreement can be agreed upon following a Procedural Breach or Minor Overspend Breach, a case can be referred to the Cost Cap Adjudication Panel, which is made up of 12 judges elected by the FIA General Assembly.