Ferrari have found themselves in hot water in the aftermath of the Spanish Grand Prix a fortnight ago.

An F1 investigation has begun amid allegations they broke rules surrounding battery energy release, with rival teams suspicious that a power boost may have given them up to an additional 20 horsepower.

Mercedes were the first to note that monitors could be bypassed and it is their rivals who are being accused of foul play regarding the matter.

To their credit - although they now don't have much choice but to be stringent - Ferrari have promised that in Monaco, they will utilise new software that makes bending the regulations impossible.

However, it may be too late for that, with fresh reports suggesting that they could already be in big trouble.

According to the Mirror, the violation is being taken so seriously that there is even the threat of potential expulsion from F1 being talked about.

Realistically, that seems unlikely, especially as they're one of the big boys, yet it just goes to show that the authorities aren't taking Ferrari's alleged antics lightly.

It's expected that there won't be any complaints this weekend, at least, and while Mercedes have been turning up the heat, they are now content to leave things to the FIA.

F1 are monitoring the situation 

With Sebastian Vettel having won the opening two rounds of the season, it could well be that the car's added power has given a significant advantage and affected the overall standings; the German has 78 points, two wins, and two podiums to his name, compared to Lewis Hamilton's 95 points, two wins, and four podiums, leaving him second as it stands.

If that were proved to be the case, then it's easy to see why the sport would want to take such strong action both as a punishment and as a deterrent to other teams.

In a statement on their website, F1 explained what has taken place so far.

"The governing body have asked Ferrari to run an extra piece of hardware that monitors their Energy Recovery System," it read.

"This weekend, the FIA will monitor the system in operation before analysing data and making any judgements."

In the interests of fairness, all of Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda and Renault have had to divulge the details of their engine layouts to the FIA.

If found guilty, how should Ferrari be punished? Have your say in the comments.