Commentary to the FIA and Ferrari horse trade, a pact that will have consequences
The bomb exploded on Friday evening just before the end of the test. Without the usual tam-tam, the FIA nonchalantly published a statement that they completed their examination of Ferrari’s 2019 power unit. FIA and Ferrari came to the following agreement (more here).
However, the content of the deal remains a secret. Only a catalog of “charitable work” to which Ferrari has been sentenced was released. Among others to support the FIA in its research of e-Fuels.
Charitable work aside, this announcement that all Formula 1 journalists received contains the material for the greatest scandal since Crashgate 2008.
Because, to put it mildly, the FIA has corrected irregularities in the Ferrari drive. You could also say: Ferrari was caught cheating – and is now getting a memo.
One thing is certain: the FIA letter unofficially confirms what the whole paddock was already whispering about in 2019. And what Red Bull chief adviser Helmut Marko made public at AUTO BILD MOTORSPORT as part of the Italian GP: Ferrari broke FIA rules with power unit in 2019.
Rehabilitation for Verstappen
After Scuderia’s disastrous performance during the US Grand Prix, when the FIA had specified the engine rules several times, Max Verstappen openly accused Ferrari: “It happens when you have to stop cheating”. The Dutchman was highly criticized for his rather frank statements. Unfairly, as we can now say because Verstappen and Marko were right after all.
In this context, it becomes clear why Ferrari had to completely revise its engine for 2020.
But the horse trade that Ferrari and the FIA have agreed to behind closed doors is very questionable. It is a pact outside of all sporting rules. There are no private and secret agreements in association sports.
Legal or not: no gray area for penalties
Either Ferrari’s power unit was illegal in 2019, and they need to be punished or there is just no proof for it. But then, no official statement would be necessary. After all, the suspicion was already there during the 2019 championship. Plenty of time to make such statements.
As so often, the premier class of motorsports wanted to prevent a major scandal. They have achieved the opposite.
Other team leaders were just as surprised by the news as the journalists in the press center.
A team boss in view of the explosiveness of the developments says to F1-insider.com “This decision opens the door for all teams to cheat and not fear any repercussions. Now everyone has a shot to cheat freely. That’s a scandal.”
Distortion of competition and loss of millions
Even worse: All teams except Mercedes were cheated by several million euros because Ferrari apparently took second place in the world championship with unfair means. A team leader “We won’t put up with that. It’s about the distortion of competition and lots and lots of money”. Lawyers have already been taken over this case. It is therefore clear that the horse trade between Ferrari and FIA will have consequences.
#Ferrarigate isn’t over – not by a long shot!
Translated by David Schneider
