Seven Formula One teams signed a statement rejecting the agreement between Ferrari and the International Automobile Federation for the engine that the Italian team used last season.
McLaren, Mercedes, Racing Point, Red Bull, Renault, Alpha Tauri and Williams released an identical statement.
They all want a “full and proper disclosure” of the investigation that took several months and added that “we reserve our rights to seek legal redress, within due process of the FIA (the acronym for the governing body of sport) and in court. competent ”.
In addition to Ferrari, two other teams did not sign the letter. Both Haas and Alfa Romeo use Ferrari engines.
FIFA announced last week that it completed a “comprehensive technical investigation” of Ferrari’s 2019 engine and “reached an agreement” with the team as to whether they had exceeded the flow of fuel, in violation of regulations.
Rival teams and drivers questioned whether the power unit in the Ferraris exceeded the allowed limit of 100 kilograms per hour. They argued that this allowed Ferrari to reach top speed on the long straights, thereby allowing them to string together six consecutive poles.
Teams cannot increase their power with an increase in fuel flow that exceeds the stipulated amount, and must do so with other parts.
No further details about the investigation were given to Ferrari.
The FIA concluded that “the details of the agreement will remain secret between the parties”, referring to “a series of technical commitments” that Ferrari agreed to fulfill.
Such a fuzzy conclusion – which did not establish whether the engine was legal or not, what was the agreement and the commitments that Ferrari accepted – irritated the seven teams unaffiliated by the Italian team.
“We are surprised and shocked by the FIA statement,” the teams said. “After months of investigations by the FIA, in response to queries raised by the other teams, we strongly oppose the FIA reaching a confidential agreement with Ferrari to archive this matter.”
Prior to the United States Grand Prix in November, the FIA responded to a query from Red Bull by issuing a technical directive before the race.
When Ferrari lost power, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen did not hesitate to mention it at a press conference. “It doesn’t surprise me at all. After what was published. That explains everything”.
After taking part in a test at the Zandvoort circuit for this year’s Dutch GP on Wednesday, Verstappen referred to the teams’ statement.
Without commenting directly on the matter: “in every sport one wants the competition to be fair.”
The season will kick off with the Australian GP in Melbourne on March 15. AP