Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has dismissed the speculation that Max Verstappen could be stripped off of his 2021 championship, stating that it’s “complete nonsense”. There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the punishment that Red Bull will receive for breaching the budget cap last year, with some expecting minor penalties and others anticipating serious repercussions.
Speaking to F1-Insider, Marko revealed that discussions with the FIA are ongoing and that Red Bull still believes that they didn’t break the cost cap rule at all. He stated, “We still believe that we didn’t break the cost cap rule at all. Discussions with the FIA are ongoing. Let’s see what finally comes out of it.”
Addressing the speculation that Red Bull could face serious penalties, Marko dismissed the notion that Verstappen could lose his world title. He said, “But rumours that Max could lose his World title in 2021, for example, are complete nonsense.”
Marko also explained why he feels that way. “The past has shown that even extreme violations of the regulations were punished very mildly by the FIA,” he said.
It is worth noting that while the FIA has confirmed that Red Bull breached the budget cap last year, they have yet to announce any punishment. This has led to a lot of speculation about what the penalty might be, with some suggesting that Red Bull could face serious consequences, including the possibility of Verstappen being stripped of his championship.
However, Marko’s comments suggest that Red Bull is confident that they will not receive any major penalty and that Verstappen’s championship win is not in jeopardy. As discussions between Red Bull and the FIA continue, it remains to be seen what the final outcome will be.
