Red Bull’s near-perfect season was marred in late October when it was punished for breaching the cost cap for 2021. Teams were allowed a budget of $145 million that season; Red Bull exceeded it by nearly $2 million. It was fined $7 million by the F.I.A., the sport’s governing body, and hit with a 10 percent reduction in its aerodynamic wind-tunnel testing allowance for 12 months that will affect next year’s car.
“It means we are going to have to think smarter and be more selective in what we test and run,” Horner said. “We just need to adapt.”
Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes will all field the same drivers in 2023. Not so for many teams.
Sebastian Vettel, the four-time champion, retired and will be replaced at Aston Martin by Fernando Alonso, a two-time title winner, who leaves Alpine and will be replaced there by Pierre Gasly.
His seat at AlphaTauri will be taken by Nyck de Vries, one of three rookies along with Logan Sargeant of Williams and Oscar Piastri of McLaren, who replaces Daniel Ricciardo, an eight-time Grand Prix winner. Ricciardo has returned to Red Bull as third driver.
After three years as a reserve, Nico Hülkenberg, who has driven for Williams, Sauber, Force India and Renault, joins Haas after the team did not renew the contract of Mick Schumacher.
Vettel, in particular, is ready to enjoy life away from racing.
“I have a wife I am very in love with still after so many years, we have three kids, so I look forward to spending more time at home with them and the dog,” he said.
“So these things that might sound really boring, but I have built next to the racing, I will hopefully be able to enjoy and then I’ll see what happens. I am restless in many ways and interested in a lot of things, so it will give those a little more room.”