Mercedes tests: Red Bull and Ferrari file complaint

By participating three days of private testing to work on the tires, Mercedes AMG F1 Did the team violate the sporting regulations? If Pirelli assures that no, the competition is much more doubtful. And for good reason, the German team would have, with the greatest discretion, used this season's W04s and violated article 22.4 of the sporting regulations, which prohibits testing between Grand Prix with a car less than two years old. Worse still, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton would have had the opportunity to train with the new compounds from the Italian manufacturer, who must enter competition at the next meeting, in Canada. Enough to give them a certain technical advantage.

As such, Red Bull et Ferrari have just lodged a complaint with the FIA. “I can understand that Pirelli wants to test their tires, they clearly have problems with them”, commented Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. “What is disappointing is that this was done in a non-transparent manner. Three days of testing took place with a current car on tires that will be used in the next Grand Prix, you can call it what you want, it's testing! We have to deal with it legally, and that's what we're going to do.", he declared, before the team lodged a complaint with the governing bodies.

A complaint with which Scuderia Ferrari joins. “Pirelli can offer the chance to do 1 kilometers of testing to develop tires and safety. But the aspect that concerns us is the year of the car that was used, as this would be a breach of Article 000 (of the sporting regulations, Editor's note), indicated for his part a spokesperson for the Italian team. “If it is not contrary to article 22, then we would be interested in doing it too ". Ferrari had already participated in a test session for Pirelli between Bahrain and Barcelona, ​​but with a 2011 car. In the event of proven fraud, Mercedes would risk being excluded from the Constructors' World Championship, as well as a fine which could exceed the 100 million euros.