Motor racing-Horner says no secret deal on cost cap breach, blasts Brown

(Reuters) - Red Bull boss Christian Horner said there would be no secret deal with Formula One's governing body over his team's budget cap breach and blasted McLaren counterpart Zak Brown for a letter making accusations of cheating.

Red Bull, who won the drivers' title last year and this with Max Verstappen, were found to have exceeded the $145-million cap in 2021 with what the governing FIA said was a 'minor overspend'.

Some teams have called for strict punishment to send a strong message.

Speaking in a tense U.S. Grand Prix news conference on Saturday with Brown alongside, Horner said the FIA had proposed an Accepted Breach Agreement (ABA) and that was under negotiation.

"I'm hopeful it can be resolved during this weekend," he added.

"Should that not happen the next process is going to the cost cap administration panel and then beyond that there is the international court of appeal. So it could draw it out for another six to nine months, which is not our intention."

Horner said Red Bull wanted closure and talks with the FIA had been "healthy and productive".

The Briton said the proposed penalty was confidential but promised complete transparency once the situation had been resolved.

"There's going to be no private, secret deal. I think it will all be absolutely above board. This is very different to a previous situation."

In 2020 the FIA made a private settlement with Ferrari after technical investigations into the Italian team’s 2019 power unit.

Horner said he was appalled at the behaviour of competitors and "three weeks of effective abuse" directed at his team over a cap introduced last year to help level the playing field.

Brown told the FIA last week, in a letter seen by Reuters, that any overspend breach was "cheating by