FIA = Ferrari International Assistance?

[obewan]

I see the FIA are trying to draw a line under the investigation into Ferrari's fuel flow irregularities during last season.
Odd that they were the fastest thing on the grid in a straight line, and once the investigation started and 'rules were clarified' a run of six consecutive pole positions came to an end.

They FIA say that a settlement has been reached between both parties but won't say if the cars were illegal at the time :thumbsdown:

 

[BeeEmm]

Every team has to push the rules till they bend. Mercedes adjustable toe in steering wheel operated push/pull system has already been banned for next year, but allowed this year.

 

[obewan]

I agree and take your point, but the difference there is the Merc system is legal now.
It's only banned next season due to rule changes.
If Merc see a benefit they will run it, and others could copy and run it until the end of the season

Whatever Ferrari were doing they had to stop, but the FIA have not/won't say if it was illegal.
Only that they have reached a settlement agreement, that's not transparent to all the other teams

All the non Ferrari engined teams have complained officially today

If it was illegal it potentially prevented other teams winning points and subsequently large bonus's

 

[BeeEmm]

The FIA made a rules clarification in response to questions from the Red Bull team. Due to that clarification Ferrari immediately and obviously made changes to their fuel flow system. They were then fully compliant. The teams are right to complain, the decision should have been made known to all and I was surprised when I heard the decision last week. Bickering does not help the sport and it has been going on for to long and in some cases can be compared to - His lollipop is bigger than mine, it's not fair. The FIA have had time to consider all the evidence and have to be very careful how they handle it. We don't know at this stage whether their decision was the correct one for the sport or not, until we know all the facts.

 

[buzyg]

I'm with BeeEmm. F1 should be about pushing the envelope, AKA bending the rules until they snap. Of course every one else will moan, they didn't think of it, or if they did, didn't have the kahooners to try it.

 

[obewan]

I actually have a lot of respect for Ferrari as a genuine manufacturer, not just a team putting a load of others parts together
I just get irked that they seem to get beneficial treatment.
Talking of real cheating, did you catch the Top Gear segment on the 1995 Toyota rally car disqualification due to a sliding Turbo air intake valve?
Now that was pushing it, albeit very clever

 

[Chris_D]

Wily old Ken Tyrell was the sneakiest fox on the pit lane back in the day. Someone should publish a book just on his rule-dodging exploits alone!

I don't think Ferrari are the only team on the grid past, present or future who have/will have one or two 'spurious' tricks up their sleeves.

 

[mmm-five]

Every team has to push the rules till they bend. Mercedes adjustable toe in steering wheel operated push/pull system has already been banned for next year, but allowed this year.

It's not 'banned' for 2021 as it was never allowed in the first place.

It's allowed in the 2020 rules and not allowed in the 2021 rules (which were agreed by the team last year, before the device came to light).

It was discussed quite a bit during testing.

It is allowed under the 2020 rules because the relevant clause says only: "The front wheels are adjusted solely by the steering and under the full control of the driver." The push-pull movement is controlled totally by the driver, so is completely within the rules.

Maybe Mercedes spoke to the F1 Technical Team to ask if their device would be allowed under the current rules, and the F1 Techs decided to put a specific exclusion into the 2021 rules (which the F1 teams signed off last year remember), and there is a specific entry in the 2021 rules which says: "The alignment of the front wheels must only take place through a constant function of a rotational movement of a single steering wheel." This would outlaw the push-pull motion of the Mercedes system.

Or maybe Mercedes digested the 2021 rules, wondered why that specific clause had been included, and then decided to see if they could design something within the current rules?

 

[obewan]

Wily old Ken Tyrell was the sneakiest fox on the pit lane back in the day. Someone should publish a book just on his rule-dodging exploits alone!

I don't think Ferrari are the only team on the grid past, present or future who have/will have one or two 'spurious' tricks up their sleeves.

I think I read somewhere that he once hid a major development in plain sight. Every time the car was in the pits the mechanics rushed to cover up something at the back of the car, whereas the improvement was actually at the front.
It was weeks before he was found out

 

[john-e89]

RedBull moan like stuck pigs whenever someone thinks of something, ie, Brawns double diffuser, they kicked a right old stink up about that, or it’s something they don’t like. They thought however, their flexible front wings were perfectly fine and didn’t like the fuss other teams were making even though the wings could flex more than the permitted margin, they’re the worst for complaining by a long shot so it’s nothing new there, nor as said above about any of it, rules are there to be bent to the limit and sometimes they go beyond it, it’s always gone on in F1. Keep going I say until you get a slap on the wrist, helps to keep things interesting.

 

[buzyg]

Talking of real cheating, did you catch the Top Gear segment on the 1995 Toyota rally car disqualification due to a sliding Turbo air intake valve?
Now that was pushing it, albeit very clever

Now that was blatant cheating. The rules said specifically how big the hole had to be and they made it much bigger, plus attempted to hide that fact within the design.