Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner says up to seven teams may be forced to miss several Grands Prix in 2022 unless the sport's budget cap is increased. F1's budget cap was introduced last year in an effort to level the playing field and reduce the disparity in purchasing power between teams. Having started at $145m in 2021, the cap is currently $140m, and is set to reduce further to $135m in 2023. "I think about seven of the teams probably need to miss the last four races to come within the cap this year, from the consensus that there has been up and down the paddock," Horner told media including RacingNews365.com . "It's not just about the big teams. Now it's teams in the middle of the field that are really struggling with the inflationary rate that we're seeing, that could even get worse in the second half of the year."
Horner concerned about rising energy costs
Horner has previously called for a review of the current cap, noting in April that increased freight and logistics costs would stretch teams' finances, and suggested that FIA may be forced to take action. "I think the FIA have a duty of care," said Horner. "Nobody wants to be in the position [of going over the budget cap], which is why in the second six months of the year, the FIA need to address the issue, because energy bills and cost of living are going up exponentially, and F1 is not exempt from that. "We see freight [costs] have quadrupled, and that's not something we can control."
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