Formula 1 isn’t great because of the soaring-fast cars and incredible lap times; it’s also the best because of how hard the FIA tries to keep it equal for each team, making sure no team gets an unfair advantage. One such measure is the F1 2025 cost cap, which is essentially a fixed budget that each team can spend on their cars in a year.
But sometimes, these teams tend to go over the budget, like the infamous Red Bull’s $7 million overspend a few years ago. So, which teams exceeded the F1 2025 cost cap, and what are the consequences coming their way? Let’s find out.
F1 2025 Cost Cap: Who Crossed The Line?
Let’s get this right out of the way. No, there’s no Red Bull-style financial fireworks in 2025. Unlike the infamous $7 million overspend from a few years ago, every team managed to stay under the $135 million limit… except one, and even that comes with a massive asterisk.
Aston Martin, on the other hand, the green giants, found themselves caught in a very minor procedural breach of the F1 2025 cost cap. Basically, it wasn’t wild spending; it was a hiccup in paperwork, where their financial documents missed a crucial signature before the deadline. The FIA themselves called it exceptional and unpredictable, so it’s less a scandal and more a footnote for F1 accountants to gossip about over coffee.
Notably, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and the rest? Audit passed. Clean slate. Although there were rumours of McLaren possibly exceeding the F1 2025 cost cap limit, but that’s all what it is. Mere rumours. The championship wasn’t rocked by dramatic overspends, despite that juicy rumour mill suggesting major budget shenanigans.
What Counts As Breach And What Happens Next?
Procedural breach is basically missing your homework deadline, not actually spending more money than allowed. In F1-land, you can trigger everything from a public reprimand to hefty fines or even points deductions if you cross the true spending line. But this year, the penalties stayed locked away.
Aston Martin escaped with nothing more than a reminder to double-check their paperwork next season. The real financial firestorm only kicks off if a team overspends by more than 5%. That’s when you get your wind tunnel privileges slashed or, in extreme cases, booted from the championship. Think of it as F1’s version of detention, except with millions of dollars and global headlines on the line.
So, for all the hype and headlines, the F1 2025 cost cap breach list is a single-name club. Aston Martin owns the spotlight, and the rest cruise clean, all proving that the financial arms race behind the scenes is as tightly contested as anything on the grid. Between paperwork snafus and audit delays, one thing’s clear: in modern F1, you’re only as fast as your accountants are precise.
Also read: Jak Crawford Named Third Driver Of Aston Martin For 2026
