The "very low" penalty given to Red Bull for their breach of Formula 1 budget cap rules has played a part in their dominance at the start of this season.
That is the view of Frederic Vasseur, who has had a different experience so far this year. While Red Bull are running away with both championships already, the Frenchman's Ferrari team is languishing in fourth place in the constructors' standings having failed to score any points at the Australian Grand Prix.
Red Bull have won all three races so far this year and failed to take victory in only one of the last 14, in a run stretching to last season. And they have managed to achieve it despite currently serving their punishment for overspending during the 2021 campaign.
In the first year in which the budget cap was enforced, Red Bull went 1.6% over the limit. The defending champions were slapped with a £6m fine and also handed a sporting punishment, which saw 10% of their wind tunnel testing time taken away from them over a 12-month period.
Christian Horner has asserted on many occasions that it will have a severe impact on their car development. But with Red Bull still dominating despite being hampered by that penalty, Vasseur thinks it is clear that the sanction handed down by the FIA was not strong enough.
"It means that for me the penalty is marginal," the Ferrari chief told reporters. "They did a good job but I'm still convinced that the penalty was very light."
He did, however, concede that it is likely that any detrimental effect the penalty has on Red Bull is likely to become more noticeable as the season progresses. Vasseur added: "You should consider the rate of development that we are doing this season – if you consider the fact that if you have a 10% ban it's at the end, it's not something linear.
"I don't want to say that they didn't do a good job because I think honestly, that they did a very good job on the car. I am not trying to make an the excuse at all. It's not this. But if you ask me if the penalty is too light, I say yes."
Vasseur's belief that Red Bull's penalty was not severe enough is in line with what he said at the time it was handed out. Then in charge of Alfa Romeo, the Frenchman said: "It's quite a small penalty on the sporting side from my point of view."
