McLaren CEO Zak Brown has blasted Red Bull boss Christian Horner over “excuses” and “not taking ownership” when the side breached the Formula 1 cost cap rules.
The sport introduced an initial $145 million budget cap in 2021 in an attempt to tighten up the grid and provide greater opportunities to teams further down the order.
But although nine teams complied with the financial limits, Red Bull was discovered to have gone £1.8m over and struck an Accepted Breach Agreement with the FIA.
Red Bull was hit with a $7m fine and a 10% reduction in its aerodynamic testing allowance over 12 months, which Horner later claimed was a “draconian” punishment.
The Austrian outfit, which claimed the 2021 title with Max Verstappen in the season the breach occurred, proceeded to dominate both the 2022 and 2023 campaigns.
Brown, whose McLaren side has since become a challenger to Red Bull this season, contends that Horner and Red Bull avoided taking accountability for the violation.
“I’ve known Christian for about 25, 30 years. We used to race against each other. I would say we used to get on,” Brown told the BBC.
“I believe in transparency. I believe in putting your hand up when you get something wrong.
“The cost cap, the excuses behind that, I never really heard a ‘we just got it wrong’. I heard excuses and not taking ownership.
“When someone breaches the cost cap, and doesn’t seem to kind of take it seriously, that’s kind of hitting the integrity and core of the sport.
“To me, it’s not personal. It’s protecting our sport.”
Brown has remained consistent in his view that Red Bull should have been more “transparent” with the internal probe into allegations made against Horner’s conduct.
Horner was accused of coercive and inappropriate behaviour against a colleague, but he was cleared during an investigation in pre-season and an appeal was upheld.
“When I see things not consistent with our values, I’m going to speak up about it because it’s important people understand where we’re coming from,” he added.
“I realise that’s not necessarily always going to be popular, or make friends with everyone in the pit lane.
“But as long as I’m friends with McLaren, our fans, our partners, that’s what’s most important to me.”
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