Lewis Hamilton has to believe the FIA will make the “right decisions” regarding Red Bull breaching the budget cap in 2021.
After months of financial analysis, the Milton Keynes-based team was the only one deemed to have committed a ‘minor overspend’ when the certificates of compliance were issued a day after the Japanese Grand Prix.
Red Bull immediately voiced “surprise” at the governing body’s ruling and has maintained their submission was within the cap.
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Unsurprisingly, the fallout has been the main topic of conversation on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s US GP.
But asked for his reaction, Hamilton refused to get caught up in the whirlwind of what will happen next.
“There’s nothing I can say that would be beneficial,” he said via Crash.net.
“It would be an assumption of what may or may not happen, so I’m not giving it any energy.
“I think the integrity of the sport is right now, I have to believe the right decisions will be made.
“I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, naturally.”
One possible penalty the FIA could apply is to deduct points from Red Bull and Max Verstappen from last year, potentially handing an eighth F1 championship to Hamilton.
But the Mercedes driver played down that prospect.
“I’ve heard the things that have been said but I’m generally looking forward, I’m looking at how I can win another championship,” he declared.
“I have my own opinion of what we did as a team last year and what we earnt. It doesn’t really change a huge amount.
“I do think the sport needs to do something about this in the future though,” he noted. “If they are quite relaxed then all of the teams will go over and they might as well not have a cost cap in the future.”
Former teammate Valtteri Bottas was more direct with his comments though…
“The rules are the rules,” the current Alfa Romeo driver stated. “I personally hope it’s going to be a strict and harsh penalty because it shouldn’t happen.
“It shouldn’t be any different with the penalty. Let’s hope it’s a penalty that hurts them.
“I was in the fight with them for the Constructors’ [Championship], yes we got that but the Drivers’ we lost by a few points.
“A few million can make a big difference.”