Red Bull Deny High-Spending Claims

Although everybody is expected to cut down expenses of their operations in Formula 1, recent reports have hinted that some teams have done exactly otherwise in 2010. And since accusing a title-winning F1 team is always fashionable nowadays, the media recently suggested that Red Bull has spent no less than EUR300 million throughout their campaign last year.

As expected, Red Bull Racing did not take long until denying these claims, through the voice of its motorsport consultant Helmut Marko.

“Those figures are completely wrong; the truth is less than half of that,” Marko was quoted as saying by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. “Either someone spread these false figures deliberately, or he cannot read a balance sheet,” he added.

In addition, Marko himself ranked the team he's representing on the high-spenders' list of Formula 1, saying Red Bull are only 4th in that classification. His statement was backed by a report from the same Auto Motor und Sport, whose sources revealed RBR's true budget for 2010 was in the vicinity of EUR160 million.

In related news, Marko also shared his view on the 2011 Resource Restriction Agreement, due to be signed by all F1 teams in the near future. According to the former Grand Prix driver, his team is unlikely to sign the agreement under its current form, as Red Bull would only favor cost reduction if it would implemented in the engine area as well.

“We are not opposed to saving,” insisted Marko, “it's just that it can't only benefit the teams that are not good enough by only restricting the aerodynamics. We say yes to savings, if the engine areas are affected in the same way.”