There is an unusually uneasy atmosphere in the paddock in Austin ahead of this weekend's United States Grand Prix.
The Formula 1 circus has pitched its tent in Texas for the race's 10th year, and usually the build up would focus on what action we may get on what is widely considered to be one of the best modern tracks the sport has to offer. But even Daniel Ricciardo arriving atop a steed named Horsy McHorse could not distract from the uglier talking point that is dominating all discussions.
Red Bull are accused of breaching cost cap rules for the 2021 season and are set to discuss the issue for the first time since that was announced this weekend. The FIA has thus far resisted calls to reveal how much the team apparently overspent by, leaving fans in the dark about how and where they broke the rules.
All the uncertainty and accusations have led to a fair amount of tension bubbling beneath the surface, as Ted Kravitz explained on Sky Sports. "There is a feeling among the teams, if you start delving into it, if you start asking questions, there is a lot of unease from the other teams," he said. "I think it is fair to say Red Bull are not the most popular team in the paddock at the moment.
"It's the equivalent of F1's Financial Fair Play regulations – a lot of the other teams feel Red Bull haven't been playing fairly under the rules that they have been playing by. That has been backed up by the discussions that Red Bull are now having to have with the FIA as to whether they were in excess with the amount of money they could spend.
"It's going to rumble on for quite a while. Red Bull say there are some way of accounting for their figures that would prove they were within the cost cap rules. Other teams say that is ridiculous, and that there has been a lot of time to discuss things and iron out any areas of interpretation."
Red Bull were planning a press conference on Friday morning to discuss the subject, but that was delayed. Team principal Christian Horner is hoping to speak to FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem before the team decides whether or not it will be necessary for them to share their side of the story.
After all, the last communication from the team came shortly after the FIA's accusation last Monday. Red Bull released a statement of their own, in which they said they were "surprised and disappointed" to have been accused of breaking the rules, and stood firm on their belief that they were within the budget cap.
If no discussion with reporters is held on Friday, then the issue will certainly be discussed on Saturday afternoon with Horner scheduled to appear in the FIA's team principals press conference. That may be when he reveals his team's decision as to whether or not they will give the green light for the accepted breach agreement offered to them by the sport's governing body.
