FIA considers significant changes to budget cap regulations due to 'headache' it causes

The budget cap was introduced in 2021 in order to narrow the gap between the top and lower-tier teams. While it has had some positive effects, such as fostering more competitive balance, it has also introduced complications and enforcement challenges.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown previously proposed a system to deter complaints: teams would have to pay a fee to lodge a formal protest against a competitor. If the protest is upheld, the fee would then be refunded. However, if the claim is dismissed, the fee would still be counted within the team's budget cap — adding a strategic and financial consequence to filing baseless accusations.

AP News reports that Ben Sulayem views the idea positively and is now assessing its feasibility. “You cannot just accuse someone without a written complaint, and that protest, you have to pay money,” Ben Sulayem stated at the Miami International Autodrome. A sum of $50,000 was mentioned as the potential fee in an official and written complaint.

AP also reported that Ben Sulayem indicated in the conversation that he is frustrated by the budget cap and is considering scrapping the headache inducer. “I’m looking at the cost cap and it’s just giving the FIA a headache. So what’s the point of it?” Stated the boss of Formula 1's governing body.

"I don’t see the point, really," he concluded.