Aston Martin Hit With Budget Cap Penalty As Rumors Swirl About More Teams

The Silverstone-based team have accepted their breach of conduct, while the FIA will confirm their findings within the next few weeks.

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Aston Martin's 2025 season has seen the team drop two places in the Constructors' Championship compared to last season, from 5th in 2024 to 7th in 2025 with five races to go.

While there have been high points throughout the year, with Lance Stroll's sixth in Australia and Fernando Alonso's fifth in Hungary springing to mind, the legendary manufacturer will not be pleased with their budget mishap.

The FIA's cost cap, which was introduced in 2021, requires teams to submit their spending for a given financial year — including car parts and developmental costs — with teams not allowed to exceed $135 million ($140m, adjusted for inflation) over a calendar year.

Aston Martin breach 'beyond our control', says team spokesperson

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The first team to be directly named in regard to the cost cap is Aston Martin, who, according to Spanish newspaper Marca, have already confessed to a procedural error in their submission.

In regards to the timing, a team representative said:

"It's a procedural matter beyond our control... The documentation was submitted on time, but the independent auditor was unavailable. The relevant accounts were carried out and the cost limit was not exceeded. There is no penalty [for the team]."

Reports from Sky Italia seem to indicate that it is not only Aston Martin who are under the watchful eye of the FIA, but another team as well, with the outlet saying the FIA's findings 'currently concern a couple of teams'

Back in October 2022, the FIA found Red Bull guilty of a small case of overspending, with Aston Martin also found guilty and having to pay nearly a million dollars. However, Red Bull's breach incurred the harshest penalty the FIA has ever given out in the cost cap era, totaling $7 million in fines and a 10% reduction to their access to wind tunnel testing the following season.

Max Verstappen still enjoyed a dominant 2023 despite the team's punishment, winning the Drivers' Title with 19 wins, while the team won their third Constructors' title in a row. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur touched on the FIA's delay in publishing their 2024 findings in the team principal press conference on Friday, saying:

"We have to trust the FIA that they are doing their job. And I think it’s not an easy one, honestly. but we also have to avoid making any speculation on rumours. That would be a mistake."

It is assumed that the delay has been caused by a team pushing back against the FIA's findings, with, in the case of serious overspending, the punishment being harsh. Red Bull's $2 million in overspending got turned into a $6 million fine, and a more severe breach could put a significant dent in any team's finances.

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