- Mercedes had problems with Max Verstappen’s behavior during an overtaking attempt in his fight against Lewis Hamilton in Interlagos.
- A virtual hearing was held on Thursday and a verdict was finally passed almost 24 hours later: Mercedes’ right of scrutiny was denied.
- Red Bull boss Christian Horner suggested on Friday that a new protest against Mercedes’ DRS system could be imminent.
While Formula 1 teams and officials are preparing for the first Formula 1 Grand Prix in Qatar, the result of the previous round in Sao Paulo, Brazil is finally certain.
Mercedes had problems with Max Verstappen’s behavior during his battle with Lewis Hamilton at the Interlagos Circuit in Brazil when both drivers went too far at Turn 4 in the middle of the race. The incident was noted but not investigated by the stewards at the time.
Mercedes filed a scrutiny right under the FIA’s International Sports Law earlier this week when forward-facing onboard footage was provided by Verstappen’s car, which was not broadcast live at the time of the incident.
A virtual hearing was held on Thursday and a verdict was finally passed almost 24 hours later: Mercedes’ right of scrutiny was denied. The stewards felt that while the forward-looking onboard footage of Verstappen’s car was new and relevant, it did not meet the threshold of being considered significant.
No love will be lost between Christian Horner from Red Bull and Toto Wolff from Mercedes when the 2021 F1 season comes to an end.
Mark ThompsonGetty Images
The stewards stated, “Had they felt that the front-facing camera was critical to a decision, they would have investigated the incident and made a decision after this video was available – they saw no need to do so.”
Mercedes argued that the new footage provided sufficient information for the stewards to come to a very different conclusion than before. But the stewards argued that the new footage “shows nothing extraordinary that is particularly different from the other perspectives available at the time”.
As a result, the footage was not deemed significant enough to allow Mercedes to review it. The decision was not about the incident itself, but rather whether the new footage would have meant a review of the incident.
In reality, Mercedes was not pushing for a penalty for Verstappen – nor had it ever expected. What’s more, it wanted to clarify the behavior on the track after a spate of incidents and near-misses between the title protagonists this year.
“I think we wanted to initiate a discussion about it, because it will probably be an issue in the next races and I think this goal has been achieved,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. “We didn’t think it would go any further.”
While this chapter in the Hamilton-Verstappen / Mercedes-Red Bull battle is over, a potential new battle arose on Friday. Red Bull boss Christian Horner stressed that there was “no relationship” between the parties and indicated that a new protest might be just around the corner.
Bryn Lennon – Formula 1Getty Images
Red Bull has doubts about Mercedes’ rear wing and the method it believes it is able to use to reduce drag at full speed and heavier load to help drive straight ahead. It has nothing to do with the DRS problem Hamilton had during qualifying in Brazil, where damage to two screws caused it to open 0.2 millimeters past the 85mm limit on one side.
“If we think the car is out of regulation we will protest because the straight line speeds that we saw in Mexico and Brazil – I think everyone could see in Brazil was not a normal situation,” said Horns. “And yes, a new engine that we know from a Mercedes will perform better, but when you have some sort of 27 km / h (final speed) and you see marks on the end plates of the rear wings that have been marked by wings, who bent … we can see very clearly what was going on.
“So of course I would like to point out that it’s up to the FIA [as the regulator] to make sure the cars are compliant. If not, protest if you think a competitor is breaking the rules. ”
Horner’s comments came while sitting next to Wolff during a tense press conference in Qatar, the venue for the Grand Prix this weekend, where they barely shared friendliness or eye contact.
“I think it’s even more relevant in many ways for the two upcoming circuits,” said Horner on the rear wing, which Red Bull finds controversial. “But as a competitor, I’m sure, Mercedes – and we know that – paid a lot of attention to our car throughout the season, and of course we do too. Obviously it’s about high stakes, there is a lot to play and we just want to make sure there is an even playing field. “
When the verbal mud was thrown around the ears, Wolff replied: “If you remain skeptical because someone has told you something and you expect that this is the cause, you should do it.” [a protest]. We said that we were checked 14 times on this very special – on this very special – rear wing, the FIA has all the drawings for it, there is no such thing as Red Bull expects. “
Wolff said he would “happily send one to Milton Keynes,” where Red Bull is based. Horner asked Wolff to “explain the grooves on the end plate of the rear wing”, to which Wolff replied: “I think it is within the scope of what is permitted and therefore okay.”
“I think that nobody would show up on the track with an illegal engine or an illegal rear wing, the world is too transparent for that,” said Wolff.
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