Despite celebrating a dominant victory at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing now face a serious post-race setback after being flagged once again for a breach related to Formula 1’s cost cap regulations.

While Verstappen stormed to his second win of the season with a bold overtake on Oscar Piastri at Turn One, the aftermath of the weekend has been far from triumphant for the reigning world champion’s team.

The trouble began during qualifying, when Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda suffered a terrifying crash in Q1 that flipped his car upside down and sent it violently into the barriers. Though Tsunoda was unharmed and quickly cleared by the medical team, the damage to his car was extensive — and it’s now set off alarm bells within the team.

Verstappen voiced his concerns immediately after the incident, acknowledging the financial ramifications Red Bull would now face.

“That was a big hit. The most important thing is that he’s okay,” Verstappen said. “But it’s a lot of damage. Not ideal with the budget cap, but that’s how it goes.”

The wreck completely destroyed Tsunoda’s chassis, forcing Red Bull to undertake an expensive rebuild — one that has reportedly pushed their projected expenditures beyond safe limits under the current $140.4 million cost cap for 2025.

Making matters worse, FIA auditors have now opened a review into Red Bull’s post-Imola accounting, amid early signs that the chassis rebuild and associated emergency logistics may have breached operational thresholds. While no formal penalty has yet been handed down, a spokesperson for the FIA confirmed that a “compliance evaluation is underway following updated cost declarations from the team.”

This isn’t the first time Red Bull has faced scrutiny under the financial regulations. After a minor breach in 2021, the team was fined $7 million and handed a 10% reduction in aero testing time for 2023 — a penalty that Verstappen previously described as “harsh but fair.”

Now, with the team already under pressure from McLaren and Mercedes in both championship standings, another cost cap controversy could not come at a worse time.

“Of course, we don’t want this to become a distraction,” Verstappen added. “We’re fighting for the title. The focus has to stay on the track, but yes, I hope the team finds a way to handle this properly.”

With Monaco looming next on the calendar and tensions rising around the paddock, Red Bull’s financial and competitive balance is once again under the spotlight — and Verstappen’s title defense may be facing an off-track battle as fierce as anything happening on race day.