Ferrari has clarified that it hasn’t joined Red Bull – yet – in raising the latest Mercedes F1 engine query, with regards to the inlet plenum temperatures.
Amid the driver drama, in the background, there was more of Mercedes and Red Bull checks happening via the FIA, where the latter queried the governing body’s technical team to look into the former’s power unit’s inlet plenum temperatures.
The news surfaced around the Belgian GP about Red Bull asking the FIA to check if Mercedes is using the inlet plenum in a way to cool the air and in turn boost power. The governing body has sensors in place to check the system and monitor what teams do.
Not much details were passed on by either Christian Horner or Toto Wolff, when they were asked on the matter. Both put it down to usual checks done by the FIA on request of F1 outfits – kind of indicating that both have had several queries during the 2021 season.
“As is the nature with all technical clarifications they go continually between all the teams and those clarifications are usually to ascertain if something is in the eyes of the governing body acceptable as a solution and then of course if it is you follow suit,” said Horner.
“We’ve had numerous of those this year with our car and it’s something not unique to Red Bull and this topic certainly isn’t unique to Red Bull, but obviously that dialogue between the engineers within their forums as well, within the technical working groups, it’s an ongoing process. I’m sure it doesn’t come as any great surprise.”
To it, Wolff added: “I heard the first about it few of days ago. I wish we had some kind of special solution, but it is the modus operandi in Formula 1, business as usual. Queries are being taken to the FIA, questions are being asked, it’s completely normal.”
While Mercedes and Honda continue their tussle, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto, revealed that he had chat with Horner about the matter, but did not push along with them in asking the FIA – at least not until the Dutch GP weekend.
“No, we didn’t join Red Bull,” said Binotto. I think, as all teams, all constructors, we are always trying to understand what our opponents are doing. We analyse the images and look at the GPS data.
“We had some question marks and we discussed the point with Red Bull. I discussed it with Christian Horner, but we, as Ferrari, have not raised any specific questions to the FIA, so far at least,” summed up Binotto.
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