Hamilton fans intensify call to strip Verstappen of title after Red Bull budget breach

Lewis Hamilton fans are up in arms especially now that Red Bull Racing has been found guilty of going over the 2021 budget allocation set by the FIA. The seven-time world champion's fans are calling for a harsh punishment, including Red Bull Driver Max Verstappen's disqualification from the championship.

The pleas coming from certain sections of the F1 fan base are understandable, especially since the title would land in Hamilton's lap if Verstappen is stripped. However, it seems unlikely that the FIA will make such a drastic decision.

After numerous delays, the governing finally published the results of their investigation into the team's accounts for the 2021 season. Red Bull Racing has been found guilty of going over the spending cap, confirming earlier rumours.

However, Red Bull are adamant that their books are in order and released a statement to contest the FIA's decision.

The spending cap set at £114million for 2021, and the FIA confirmed that Red Bull went over that amount. However, they have not disclosed that exact figure that the team went over.

Nevertheless, they confirmed that the breach was less than five percent of the budget, making it a minor offence. A hefty fine is expected, which the team will likely pay while also appealing the decision.

Other teams across the paddock are also calling for more transparency from the FIA, with the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari saying that even a small difference in spending could have made huge changes in performance.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner maintains that the team did not go over the budget when it comes to developing their car, and it has previously been reported that the contention lies in whether or not employee meals and sick pay should be part of the allocation. However, if Red Bull is allowed to take those items out of the equation, that would have left them with more money to spend on their car.

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto pointed this out, saying that the other teams are running with "cars that have been developed maintaining and respecting the budget cap itself."

He said that even relatively small amounts of additional development money can shave fractions of seconds off a car's lap times. Not only that, the development spills over to the following seasons as well.

Hamilton himself pointed out that Mercedes were no longer able to add upgrades after the race at Silverstone last season, but he feels Red Bull may have been bringing in new upgrades well after that. "We would see Red Bull every weekend or every other weekend bringing upgrades. They had, I think, at least four more upgrades from that point," he previously said.

Apart from Red Bull, Aston Martin and Williams were found guilty of a "procedural" breach. An "appropriate course of action" for all those involved has yet to be determined by the FIA.