Ferrari would welcome FIA clarification on "extraordinary" engine
Ferrari says it would welcome a clarification from the FIA on the legality of its engine, after admitting it has got "annoyed" by recent speculation on the matter.
A number of teams have written to the FIA to seek clarification about design aspects of Ferrari’s powerunit that they want to develop but are unsure about their legality.
With an ongoing lack of clarity about the situation, there have been suggestions that rivals could now lodge a protest to get it sorted once and for all – something that Ferrari itself says it would also welcome to prove it is fully complying with the rules.
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko says the FIA needs to clarify the situation, especially as he has no explanation for how Ferrari has such an edge.
“We're on Mercedes’ level in the race,” said Marko in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com about Honda’s progress. “The only thing missing is the qualifying mode. This extraordinary performance increase of Ferrari is another topic.”
Marko suggests that the manner in which Ferrari’s engine stands out from the rivals – which has been described by one team source as ‘ludicrous’ - means that things need looking at.
“I'd rather not comment on suspicions. But when you look at the [power] curve and see how fast they are, it's amazing how an engine can stand out [like that]. Let's wait and see what happens there. The FIA has to clarify that.”
Marko’s calls for the FIA to clarify the matter has been welcomed by Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto, who says that his team is not happy about the way rivals have behaved.
“I think there are two aspects,” he said in Austin. “First we are annoyed by the rumours because in the past, as people got a great advantage on the powerunit, the only reaction we had as Ferrari was simply to work even harder to improve our package. We never blamed them of cheating,
“I think other teams at the moment are faster than us in cornering. We are not blaming them in cheating in cornering, so I think I will be more happy if people focused on their own effort and developed their own car.
“On the other side we are relaxed because we know exactly what we are doing. We know we are legal and the FIA is controlling our package every single race. They are inspecting all the data that is available to them, and inspections have been made.
“So what should I say? Hopefully the FIA will clarify to everybody that what we have got is legal and we are not cheating.”
One interesting aspect about Ferrari’s engine performance is that it appears it cannot make use of all of its gain every lap, with peak power often only seen in qualifying or on specific laps of the race.
But Marko says that overall, Ferrari’s engine edge is there all the time.
“The effect is generally there, but they can't use it every lap,” he said. “You saw in Suzuka when Hamilton was challenging Vettel: DRS, slipstream, everything was useless. He wasn't able to pass him.”
Pirelli responds to "disappointed" drivers over 2020 tyres
McLaren hints at F1 test for Indy recruits O'Ward, Askew
The danger for Red Bull in its Barcelona F1 team orders choice
OPINION: Red Bull walked into a team orders saga on its way to taking a Spanish Grand Prix 1-2 last weekend, where it took the lead of the 2022 Formula 1 world championships for the first time. But its decisions have added an element of risk to later races.
Why Mercedes' Spanish GP gains aren't as grand as they seemed
Mercedes' strong showing in last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix prompted team boss Toto Wolff to say it had halved its deficit to the leaders and its Formula 1 title chances were back on after a rocky start to the 2022 campaign. But a closer inspection of the team's performance suggests its gains aren't as grand as they first appeared
What's next for the Green Red Bull controversy?
From the 'pink Mercedes' to the 'Green Red Bull', the Silverstone-based team has received suspicious glares from up and down the Formula 1 paddock over its car design exploits. But after being cleared by the FIA over its Spanish Grand Prix updates amid a backdrop of cries of foul play, what's next in this saga?
Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
In an unusually hectic Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was denied a dominant performance by his Ferrari engine letting go which allowed Max Verstappen to pick up the pieces. But numerous flashpoints kept the race twisting and turning throughout, with one perfect score from an emerging contender
How Verstappen overcame his and Red Bull’s errors to win in Spain
Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari engine disaster offered an open goal for Max Verstappen and Red Bull to strike, but the reigning Formula 1 world champion still had to solve multiple errors and profit from a begrudged assist from team-mate Sergio Perez, which created an unexpectedly eventful Spanish Grand Prix
Why Red Bull can win a Spanish GP that looked perfect for Ferrari
Formula 1's return to Spain on Friday ended with Ferrari leading the way from Mercedes, while Red Bull could only manage third fastest overall courtesy of Max Verstappen. But its chances of victory are far from remote with a deeper dig into the times despite Ferrari's strong start...
The key aspects of Porsche and Audi's planned F1 entries
The VW Group’s German superpowers of sportscar racing have all but confirmed they are coming to F1 when the next set of engine rules come into force in 2026. Here's why both manufacturers are all set to take the plunge, and crucially how it might work
How Vegas went from byword for F1 indifference to grand Liberty coup
Holding a race in Las Vegas – party central, a city of dreams and decadence and, yes, more than a smattering of tackiness – has been on Liberty Media’s most-wanted list since it acquired Formula 1’s commercial rights. But, as LUKE SMITH explains, F1 has been here before and the relationship didn’t work out