Honda and Alpine fined for cost cap breaches

When the cost cap outcomes were announced last month, the two power unit manufacturers were flagged as having committed procedural breaches.

Both have subsequently agreed to Accepted Brach Agreements with the Cost Cap Administration.

For Honda, that has translated into an AUD $815,000 (USD $600,000) fine for two specific regulation breaches.

They include costs with respect to dyno maintenance and understatement of costs relating to inventories.

Alpine, whose power units are produced by Alpine Racing SAS but are branded Renault, was flagged for three breaches of three specific Articles in the regulations.

Those related to issues identified during the audit of the accounts that “contained significant deficiencies,” according to the FIA summary document.

“Several required procedures had not been performed at all, and several other procedures had only been partially completed.”

That was addressed in May with the accounts resubmitted to the satisfaction of the Cost Cap Administration.

However, for its initial error, it has accepted an AUD $610,000 (USD $400,000) fine.

It was noted in both instances that “there is no accusation or evidence that [Honda or Alpine] sought at any time to act in bad faith, dishonestly or in a fraudulent manner, nor that it wilfully concealed any information from the Cost Cap Administration.”

Further, it added: “there is no evidence that [Honda or Alpine] gained or sought to gain any advantage from the inaccurate exclusions or adjustments of certain costs.”

Financial regulations were first implemented for power unit manufacturers last year with a view towards the change in regulations in 2026 as a means to keep a cap on parallel development programs.