Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has suggested that over half the Formula 1 grid might have to miss races to fit within the budget cap this season.

The budget cap was introduced as a way of trying to level the playing field between the 'big' teams like Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull and then some of those in the midfield with smaller budgets to play with.

However, with the soaring wider cost of pretty much everything in mind, F1 teams are facing extra strain to try and stay inside the budget cap.

Indeed, despite F1 being a multi-billion pound business, it is not immune to factors like inflation and Horner has suggested that over half of the grid would have to miss races to make sure they fit inside the budget cap for 2022, unless action is taken to perhaps bump up the threshold a little bit.

“Seven of the teams would probably need to miss the last four races to come within the cap this year,” Horner said as per the BBC.

“It’s not just about the big teams. It’s teams in the middle of the field who are really struggling with inflationary issues.

“The FIA have a duty of care. I know they are taking it seriously.

“Energy bills, costs of living, costs are going up exponentially and F1 is not exempt. Freight has quadrupled and that’s not something we can control.”

BARCELONA, SPAIN - MAY 22: Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner and Pierre Wache, Chief Engineer of Performance Engineering at Red Bull Racing talk on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on May 22, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

The budget cap is a good idea.

The bigger teams might not like it as it stops them spending their bigger resource but as a method of trying to even up the pecking order it is sound in its logic.

Horner has a point though, and it cannot be ignored that things financially right now are not the same as when these budget caps were drawn up.

It remains to be seen, then, what adjustments - if any - are made.