Ferrari followed the rules to the letter, if not the actual spirit of the rules. Some talk of the fuel flow meter taking measurements at specific times, Ferrari found out the timings and were able to adjust their timing and flow to be within the rules when measurements were taken but push more fuel in between these times. Considering the revs that F1 engines run at, even having a few extra piston cycles with extra fuel would be an advantage. Ferrari were well up on power halfway through the season and were then suddenly slower than before again.
So, Ferrari were 'not exactly following the spirit of the rules' then?
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Soldato
So, Ferrari potentially exploit a loophole in the rules. No other teams make a formal protest. The FIA come to an agreement with Ferrari after the season that they won't do what they were doing any more, along with presumably the details of what they were doing so the FIA can monitor against such tricks more effectively going forward.
OcUK Motorsport forum response - "bUt WhY wErEn'T FeRrArI DiSqUaLiFiEd?!?!"
It's comforting to know that in a crazy, upside-down universe this place never changes
Exactly.
Soldato
Exactly nothing. There is no evidence they simply exploited a loophole.
Soldato
If they exploited a loophole then why would they and the FIA hide it now? exploiting loopholes is legal and done all the time.
They have cheated and the FIA are too scared to take their points away/make it public in case Ferrari walk.
Soldato
I'd like to see that proof you are seemly privy to that the rest of us aren't.
Soldato
Please show me the evidence that Ferrari broke the rules as they are written.
It's been said about F1 in the past that if you're not cheating you're not trying hard enough. Sure the regulations are tighter than they've ever been but if a team finds a loophole, as many have over the years, this shouldn't be immediately banned. Change the wording of the regulations for next season but this is why top Engineers get paid the big bucks, finding room in the regulations to improve the car. Is it cheating? Not if it complies with the regulations!
Soldato
This.
If it passes scrutineering, it races. By all means, change the rules later to exclude something. But if you didn't write a rule well enough in the first place to exclude it then that's on you.
Only in F1 fandumb (and NASCAR to a degree) is this a concept that passes folks by...
How would scrutineering identity a breach in fuel flow given that the car would have to be running to test it?
It isn't the same as a wing breaching the allowed dimensions which are easily measurable when the car is in Parc Ferme conditions.
It isn't the same as a wing breaching the allowed dimensions which are easily measurable when the car is in Parc Ferme conditions.
Man of Honour
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If they were in breach, and it seems we’ll never know, I feel most sorry for RB who will have lost millions. At least Mercedes worked with the fia on DAS. This was real shady. Funny how since this their pace is nowhere.
Soldato
So, the legality test is insufficient. Much like how the standard deflection tests couldn't pick up on RBR's flexible wings a few years back when it was bloody obvious from the TV cameras that they were bending to a faintly alarming degree, because the tests they do on cars in scrutineering aren't always (or indeed often) relevant to how they run on-track.
Not seeing how that is Ferrari's fault!
Soldato
As I ALREADY stated which you have conveniently ignored, A loophole is legal and NEVER hidden or kept secret, yet here we have COMPLETE secrecy, how aboout YOU explain that?
Excaly the same to you as above?
As above.
Typical responses from the same posters.
A loophole is legal and never kept secret, if this is a simple loophole why hide it?
JRS can be the first to explain hey?
Soldato
A loophole is legal and never kept secret, if this is a simple loophole why hide it?
JRS can be the first to explain hey?
Probably because it's not a "simple" loophole. Presumably, it's complicated enough that the FIA decided that this needed to stay hushed just in case any other manufacturer/team was tempted to try something like it. Otherwise, what would be the point in the allegedly rabidly pro-Ferrari FIA not unequivocally clearing the team of any wrongdoing?
But anyway, it's F1 - the whole story should be out in the open by the time the circus gets to Australia, assuming that the race is going ahead and we aren't in the midst of a global pandemic by that point...
I agree. It's like saying you haven't broken the law as long as you do it where there are no speed cameras.
Soldato
It's like doing bursts of 70mph in an average 50mph limit but doing 48mph the rest of the time to compensate. You'll not get fined but are still breaking the law
Man of Honour
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https://www.planetf1.com/news/mattia-binotto-ferrari-engine-2020/
Funny that. The whole thing stinks.
Funny that. The whole thing stinks.
Man of Honour
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https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrari-engine-2/
RB were potentially cost millions by this, no wonder there are annoyed teams.
RB were potentially cost millions by this, no wonder there are annoyed teams.
Soldato
This is an odd situation, the regulations are black and white and a car should either be legal or illegal. If Ferrari were running an illegal PU then the FIA should rule as such and Ferrari should be DQ'ed. If Ferrari's PU was legal, say so and be done with it. The whole secret settlement does stink of a cover up or some sort but unless it's made public we aren't likely to find out the truth.
Potentially everyone but Merc were - if Ferrari were to get DQ'ed everyone would move up a place.
Potentially everyone but Merc were - if Ferrari were to get DQ'ed everyone would move up a place.
As has been said, if a car satisfies the scrutineers and matches all measurements and limits set in the regulations they’re not cheating. If they’ve found a loophole then the regulations are badly worded. The same thing happened to Brawn. Toyota, Williams and Brawn all identified a flaw in the wording of the regs that allowed for a double diffuser. Other teams missed it. Lots of teams were clamouring for a ban and disqualifications. Never happened as the cars were within the regulations. Same with McLaren’s dual brake pedals, F-Duct and Mercedes DAS.