Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has reiterated his opinion that the FIA must take measures to increase the Formula 1 budget cap.
In fact, he went as far as to suggest as many as seven teams could be forced to miss races in order to avoid spending more than they're allowed. F1's annual budget is currently set at $140million (£111m) per team, but Horner has said the current economic landscape has made that figure unmanageable.
"Seven of the teams would probably need to miss the last four races to come within the cap this year," said the Red Bull chief, per BBC Sport. "It's not just about the big teams. It's teams in the middle of the field who are really struggling with inflationary issues."
It's not the first time Horner has advocated for the F1 budget cap to be increased. Speaking in mid-April, he underlined the heightened haulage and freight costs in particular had changed the sport's demands.
Rivals Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren have each expressed a similar interest in raising the budget cap. However, the likes of Alfa Romeo, Alpine, Haas and Williams have voted against the limit being increased due to inflation.
"The FIA has a duty of care. I know they are taking it seriously," added Horner, highlighting the ways in which expenses are rising. "Energy bills, costs of living, costs are going exponentially, and F1 is not exempt. Freight has quadrupled and that's not something we can control."
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Red Bull lead the constructors' standings and are in contention for a second straight drivers' title after Max Verstappen moved into the lead following victory in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc is only six points behind and hoping to give Ferrari their first title since 2007.
The budget cap was introduced in 2021 and started at $145m (£115m). That figure was supposed to be $30m (£23m) higher before the figure was reduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
There are concerns the budget cap increase is a ploy for the more successful F1 teams to maintain their grip on the sport. Some mid-table teams, however, may find their seasons at risk if they're unable to run race weekends without breaching spending laws later this year.
