The Nissan and Jaguar Formula E teams have been handed a partial testing ban and fined after both outfits broke the championship’s cost cap limit for the 2022-23 season.
Having completed its review of documentation from all 11 Formula E teams, the FIA announced on Wednesday that it had found Jaguar and Nissan to be in breach of the cost cap limit of €13,668,000 (£11,634,213).
Nissan was found to be 1.96% over (€269,252/£223,730), while Jaguar exceeded the limit by 0.6% (€88,883/£73,849), with both teams now forced to miss the opening three hours of pre-season testing in Valencia on 4 November as punishment.
It means Nissan’s Oliver Rowland and Norman Nato, as well as Jaguar’s Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy, will sit out the afternoon session, while the teams have also been fined €300,000 and €100,000 respectively.
“The Cost Cap Administration recognised that they [Jaguar and Nissan] have acted cooperatively throughout the review process and have sought to provide additional information and evidence when requested in a timely manner,” according to an FIA statement.
“That this is the first year of the full application of the Financial Regulations and that there is no accusation or evidence of aggravating factors or that they have sought at any time to act in bad faith, dishonestly or in fraudulent manner, and nor has it wilfully concealed any information from the Cost Cap Administration.”
An Accepted Breach Agreement (ABA) was signed by both Nissan and Jaguar on 15 October, confirming the teams accepted the findings as well as the sporting and financial punishments.
Nissan placed seventh in the teams’ championship for the 2022-23 season, which was the first year of Formula E’s new financial regulations and the Gen3 car.
“The Nissan Formula E Team has determined that these minor breaches are exclusively related to the process of interpretation and adaption of the new Financial Regulations at a time when the team was also facing specific challenges linked to its change of ownership, full restructure, and relocation,” read a statement from Nissan.
“Nissan Formula E Team has since put in place all the necessary precautions to avoid these kinds of miscalculations and oversights in the future.”
Jaguar finished the 2022-23 season runner-up in the teams’ championship, having lost out on the title to customer squad Envision, while Evans came within reach of the drivers’ crown.
“It’s an extremely complex process and while at all times Jaguar Racing acted in good faith with honesty, integrity and in a spirit of transparency and cooperation, we acknowledge that procedural filing errors have led to the minor overspend breach,” read a statement from Jaguar.
“Following consultation with the FIA, we believe that had we filed correctly, we would have been fully compliant with Teams’ Cost Cap and the minor overspend breach would not have occurred.
“Unfortunately, we understand a re-filing is not allowable by the current regulations and therefore due to these unintended procedural errors we are in a very minor overspend position.
“At no time did we seek or gain a technical or sporting advantage, as can be seen and confirmed by the Cost Cap Administration’s findings and the nature of the ABA.
“We will continue to work closely with the FIA going forward on the development and application of the cost cap and in the best interests of Formula E – the pinnacle of electric racing.”
