A secret test is always a recipe for intrigue once details become public, but Pirelli’s activation of a little-known clause to conduct running with Mercedes during the 2013 season proved to be one of the biggest Formula 1 controversies of the 21st century so far.
Accusations of underhand tactics, three separate hearings, and a full trial followed as details of the initially unreported test – involving some of the biggest names in F1 at the time including Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, and Ross Brawn – became very public, sowing distrust among the championship’s top teams.
Our video examines the whole saga from start to finish – including the reasons why Pirelli first sought to test, the FIA trial and the verdict it delivered, plus the fallout from it, which also involved a sting in the tail for Mercedes inadvertently offered by its punishment.
