Christian Horner suggested Red Bull's rivals may be using budget cap rumours to try to take the gloss off Max Verstappen's impending title success.
The Dutchman has an almost unassailable lead in the drivers' standings and is all-but certain to secure back-to-back titles this year. He could confirm the championship mathematically if he wins this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix and takes the extra point for fastest lap.
And his team chief Horner believes there may be a connection between Verstappen's soon-to-be-confirmed title success and the amount of discussion there has been about the allegations that his team may have gone over budget last season.
Red Bull have denied the claims that they overspent and Horner insists he is "absolutely confident" that his team complied with the rules. If there was any breach at all from any team, Sky Sports have reported that it was a "minor" one.
Rivals at Mercedes and Ferrari have been quick to call for harsh punishments for Red Bull if they are found to have gone over the cost cap. But Horner suggested they may simply be using the topic as an opportunity to distract from Verstappen's dominant season, especially if he confirms the title at Suzuka.
"It’s a big weekend for Max," he told the broadcaster after the second free practice session on Friday. "It's a possibility rather than a probability but it's another match point effectively for him. That's what we're focused on.
"The amount of noise that's been around other topics, one can only think it's designed to be a bit of a distraction. We're very happy with where we are, with where our submission for the cap is and all focus is on this weekend."
Like the rest of the F1 world, Horner said he will be waiting patiently until Monday for the FIA to reveal its findings so the speculation can end. "We were expecting the certificates as well on Wednesday, hoping for them on Wednesday but that's obviously been delayed for all of the teams," he added.
"The FIA have obviously taken that choice. We await with interest to see what happens on Monday. Again, we feel that we've absolutely complied with the cost cap, with the regulations, happy with our submission and awaiting to hear what the feedback is."
