For Mattia Binotto, the technical directive is inapplicable as it stands

In Montreal, the FIA ​​technical directive was at the heart of all the debates. For several Grands Prix, drivers and teams have complained about the impact of porpoising with Mercedes at the head of the complaints queue. In Baku, the state of the pilots and in particular Lewis Hamilton after the race had finally got the better of the FIA. The world body had decided to respond quickly to this problem by sending on Thursday June 16, a technical directive (TD039) which aims to regulate porpoising. This emergency measure was not to the taste of everyone in the paddock like Mattia Binotto. 

Before the Canadian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen et Charles Leclerc had expressed their reluctance about this new measure. Sunday evening, the Monegasque's main team, Mattia Binotto, could not avoid the subject. By trying to respond so quickly to the porpoising, the FIA ​​had taken everyone by surprise. But was it really the best solution? The Italian engineer is not of this opinion.

« For us it is about the fact that the technical guidelines are not applicable. This is something that we have mentioned to the FIA: the reason why they are not applicable is that a technical directive is there to clarify the regulations or to in some way address their implementation, but a technical directive is not there to change the regulations », underlines Mattia Binotto.

For Mattia Binotto, these directives “ were issued in error »

Even if the FIA's decision concerns the health of the drivers, Mattia Binotto thinks that the International Federation should have done things differently. “ Even for safety reasons, what can the FIA ​​do? It is first having a consultation with the CTC (Technical Advisory Committee), changing the regulations and going directly to the World Council for formal approval of the rule change without having the approval of the teams for security reasons », Develops the Italian. A possibility which will probably be seized during the next World Automobile Council scheduled before the 10th round of the calendar of Formula 1.

Meanwhile in Montreal, no pilot has been penalized for non-compliance with the AOM (Aerodynamic Oscillation Metric), the maximum vertical oscillation tolerance threshold. Rain during the practice sessions prompted the FIA ​​not to intervene. “ But we do not change the regulations with a technical directive. That's why we sent this to the FIA, for us these technical guidelines were not applicable. In fact, I think they were issued in error; I first believe that the metric system was not applied. The additional reinforcements were not installed on any cars for the weekend. So much ado about nothing », recalls Mattia Binotto. If the Canadian Grand Prix was not the scene of the changes announced by the technical directive, Silverstone should be.

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