Mercedes could be set to have their engine advantage clipped as the FIA tries to ban the use of qualifying modes from the Belgian Grand Prix.
During the hybrid era, the German manufacturer has been known for its ability to turn up the power on Saturday’s, giving them a single-lap boost over their rivals, before the gaps are much closer in the race.
This has been the case again this year, with Mercedes often a second faster than the rest in qualifying before holding a smaller performance lead on Sundays.
“That’s what we’re trying to understand at the moment,” Red Bull boss Christian Horner said of recent single-lap deficit to the Brackley-based team.
“Mercedes over a single lap have pretty awesome pace, you could see between P3 and Q1 and Q3 the amount they are able to step things up is dramatic.
“So, we’re looking just to understand where that performance is coming from.”
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According to several reports, it was suggested this ban would only come into effect for 2021, and it may still do so if teams push back against the plan.
However, it is currently claimed the FIA wants the restriction in place by the next race at Spa-Francorchamps on the final weekend of August.
As for how it would be implemented, it is thought teams may be forced to use their highest engine mode they used for qualifying for a set percentage of the Grand Prix.
This would stop the use of current single-lap qualifying modes which would use too much fuel and cause too much damage to the engine.
