The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has confirmed a combined fine of €1 million (US$1.1 million) for Alpine and Honda’s procedural breach of Formula One’s financial regulations for power unit (PU) manufacturers last month.
Confirmed:
- Alpine fined €400,000 (US$432,000) compared to Honda with €600,000 (US$649,000) penalty
- Neither manufacturer is accused of acting ‘in bad faith, dishonestly or in a fraudulent manner’
Context:
This is the first year that financial regulations have been imposed on PU manufacturers, so the FIA has been lenient as teams had a complex set of rules to adapt to. There is currently an engine freeze in place, which will last until the new technical regulations are rolled out in 2026.
These financial rules are directly to do with 2026 engine development, as any spend not related to that season is excluded. Despite the engine freeze, manufacturers can still work on any reliability-related issues with their engines.
Comment:
In a statement, the FIA said Alpine’s assessment report submitted ‘contained significant deficiencies [and] several procedures had not been performed at all, and several other procedures had only been partially completed’.
The statement on Honda added that the manufacturer’s report included incorrect costs ‘in respect of dyno maintenance [and] inventories’.
Coming next:
Honda’s priority for 2026 is on its move to Aston Martin, so this fine has nothing to do with its current relationship with the Red Bull team. Alpine, however, has no focus for the 2026 season after Renault Group announced that its Formula One engine programme will be closing at the end of next year.
Go deeper:
- F1 team finances roundup: Is the budget cap working four years in?
- F1 viewership analysis: Has the series cracked the US TV market?
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