Toto Wolff, Executive Director of Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team and Zak Brown, Chief Executive Officer of McLaren talk in the Paddock prior to the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on March 23, 2025 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images for McLaren)
Formula 1 Rumors

Formula 1 Rumor: Mercedes and McLaren under cost cap breach investigation

Posted by AR1 staff

(GMM) Explosive controversy may be brewing over Formula 1’s financial regulations, with Sky Italia now claiming that both Mercedes and McLaren are the two teams suspected of significant 2024 cost cap irregularities.

According to rumors, the FIA’s Cost Cap Administration is quietly managing the situation behind the scenes in the exciting tail end of the 2025 world championship.

If true, the revelation would be seismic – particularly for McLaren, which won both the 2024 and 2025 Constructors’ Championships.

Sky Italia did not specify whether the alleged issues relate to overspending or procedural violations, but all indications suggest the FIA’s inquiry concerns discrepancies in financial submissions.

Potential penalties range from financial fines and aerodynamic testing restrictions – similar to those imposed on Red Bull in 2021 – to budget reductions for the following season, or even points deductions in either the Constructors’ or Drivers’ Championships.

The FIA has not commented, maintaining that all team submissions are still under assessment and that the official cost cap certification list will be published once the process is complete.

They look worried, should they be? Zak Brown, Chief Executive Officer of McLaren and Toto Wolff, Executive Director of Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team talk in the Paddock d (Photo by Sam Bloxham/LAT Images for McLaren)