Zak Brown was in no mood to discuss McLaren's decision to replace Daniel Ricciardo with fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri on a visit Down Under this week.
The American is in Australia ahead of the Bathurst 1000. As well as being chief executive of McLaren, Brown is also a part-owner of the Walkinshaw Andretti United Supercars team, and is attending the Great Race for the first time since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
While there reporters took the chance to ask him for further insight on Ricciardo's McLaren axing, and the fact he will be replaced by Piastri for next season. But he refused to answer those questions – he did, though, offer his thoughts on F1's cost cap row.
The FIA delayed the publication of its findings from its analysis of teams' 2021 spending until Monday. That move only served to increase speculation that at least one team went over budget – Red Bull and Aston Martin are those who have been alleged by rumours, though both teams have denied any wrongdoing.
If that is the case, Brown wants to seem then given harsh punishments. "I don't know more than anyone else other than the certificates were supposed to be distributed on Wednesday and they've now been postponed to Monday, which means for some reason they're not ready which you can, based on the speculation, assume a team or two haven't complied," said the American. "I don't know that to be the case.
"The cost cap is critically important and we need to make sure it's enforced, if someone has breached, that the appropriate penalties, not just financial, but specifically sporting and technical are put in place because if you bend the rules technically in sporting you get penalties and financial should be the same.
"Because if someone has over-spent that gives them an on-track unfair advantage and needs to be dealt with accordingly, firmly and quickly."
Meanwhile, Ricciardo is still yet to figure out what the future holds for his F1 career. With options for race seats dwindling, he is reportedly in "advanced" talks with Mercedes to replace Nyck de Vries as their reserve driver next season, so he can remain in the paddock and close to the action.
Asked about that claim, the 33-year-old did not want to give away too much but did declare his desire "to be at the front" again. He said of his situation: "I want to take the right amount of time. I won't just sign the first contract to be back on the grid. I'll keep going with the season and it will become clear what is best for me."
