FIA president Jean Todt has directly contacted the seven teams requesting clarity on the governing body’s recent settlement with Ferrari.
In what is likely to be the other big off-track story away from the Coronavirus in Melbourne, the fallout is continuing from the arrangement that was reached following a technical investigation into the Italian team’s engine from last year, amid claims they had found a way to trick the sensor which polices the 100kg per hour fuel flow limit.
Initial pressure led to an admission from the FIA that they couldn’t definitively determine whether Ferrari’s engine was illegal or not, but did acknowledge suspicions that they believed it wasn’t in compliance with the rules at all times.
And now it has fallen to Todt, who was of course Ferrari team boss between 1994-2007, to try and quell rivals’ concerns.
“Three options were available, closing the case, bringing the matter before the International Tribunal, or entering into a settlement,” a letter from Todt was quoted as saying in the Daily Mail.
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“Such decisions fall to the president of the FIA, in accordance with the FIA judicial and disciplinary rules.
“The president informed and consulted with several other key FIA officials as well as the Formula 1 CEO with the objective of building a consensus on how best to address the case.
“He solicited and received recommendations from the FIA technical, legal and financial teams and also took advice from an external experienced attorney.”
Interestingly, Todt’s inclusion of F1 CEO Chase Carey seemed to be news to the American, who has claimed Liberty Media was not involved though support the FIA’s actions.
But his comments came as an apparent deadline set by those teams demanding answers approached.
“So far there has been one letter from the FIA World Council that is just unsatisfactory,” Red Bull’s Helmut Marko said before Todt’s letter via SpeedWeek.
“In our letter, the FIA was asked to respond accordingly and we gave a certain deadline. Then we can move on with the story.
“But as a team, we cannot accept that after an irregularity is detected, this is what happens. Our deadline expires tomorrow [Tuesday].”
Explaining what the teams wanted, the Austrian added: “First of all, we want to know in detail what was found at Ferrari, because it has been clearly expressed that irregularities were found.
“Only when we have this information can we advise the next steps. The seven teams are of the opinion that in the spirit of the sport, the FIA is obliged to announce the content of the agreement with Ferrari.
“So far we have not received an answer.”
The Red Bull advisor would make one point clear, however, in conclusion.
“Our allegations are not directed at another team, but at the technical control of Formula 1 and how irregularities are dealt with by the FIA,” he stated, that ‘another team’ obviously being Ferrari.
“May I remind you that McLaren was disqualified in 2007 after the espionage case and had to pay a $100m fine.”