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Ferrari’s Formula 1 rivals have objected to the FIA’s confidential settlement over its analysis of the team’s 2019 engines, issuing a joint statement that does not rule out seeking legal action.
Identical statements were released by the seven non-Ferrari-powered teams, including Mercedes, Red Bull and Renault, on Wednesday morning indicating their “surprise and shock” at the FIA’s announcement last week.
The FIA had issued a short statement claiming that “after thorough technical investigations, it has concluded its analysis of the operation of the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 power unit and reached a settlement with the team”.
It did not disclose the nature of the settlement and said the details would remain private.
That has led McLaren, Mercedes, Racing Point, Red Bull, Renault, AlphaTauri and Williams to respond with their own joint statement.
“We strongly object to the FIA reaching a confidential settlement agreement with Ferrari to conclude this matter”
The seven teams say they were “surprised and shocked by the FIA’s statement of Friday 28 February regarding the conclusion of its investigation into the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 power unit”.
Highlighting the FIA’s responsibility to “act with the highest standards of governance, integrity and transparency”, the teams said they “strongly object to the FIA reaching a confidential settlement agreement with Ferrari to conclude this matter”.
They have declared a “shared commitment to pursue full and proper disclosure in this matter, to ensure that our sport treats all competitors fairly and equally”.
The statement adds: “In addition, we reserve our rights to seek legal redress, within the FIA’s due process and before the competent courts.”
A long-running investigation into Ferrari’s 2019 engine was conducted after rival teams raised concerns over how it had established a significant engine performance advantage, particularly in qualifying.
Ferrari faced suggestions it was exploiting rules relating to fuel-flow regulations, among other theories, but no formal protest was ever lodged against the team.
It was never deemed to have broken the rules, but in its attempt to conclude the saga last week, the FIA’s statement did not declare the engine legal or illegal.
The statement in full:
We, the undersigned teams, were surprised and shocked by the FIA’s statement of Friday 28 February regarding the conclusion of its investigation into the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 Power Unit.
An international sporting regulator has the responsibility to act with the highest standards of governance, integrity and transparency.
After months of investigations that were undertaken by the FIA only following queries raised by other teams, we strongly object to the FIA reaching a confidential settlement agreement with Ferrari to conclude this matter.
Therefore, we hereby state publicly our shared commitment to pursue full and proper disclosure in this matter, to ensure that our sport treats all competitors fairly and equally. We do so on behalf of the fans, the participants and the stakeholders of Formula One.
In addition, we reserve our rights to seek legal redress, within the FIA’s due process and before the competent courts.
McLaren Racing Limited
Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited
Racing Point UK Limited
Red Bull Racing Limited
Renault Sport Racing Limited
Scuderia Alpha Tauri S.p.A.
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited
