Several outlets of the Italian media have claimed that Mercedes, Red Bull and several non-Ferrari teams have declared war on Ferrari and FIA president Jean Todt.
The aforementioned teams penned an open letter to the FIA, asking for an explanation in regards to last week’s “settlement” between the FIA and the Scuderia.
The private agreement followed after months of investigations into Ferrari’s power unit. The unit was believed, by Ferrari’s rivals, to have broken fuel flow regulations.
Daniele Sparisici from Corriere della Sera wrote: “Ferrari and FIA are under siege. Yesterday morning at 11 o’clock Formula 1 declared a state of war. 10 days before the inaugural Melbourne Grand Prix.
“Toto Wolff’s campaign garnered 100 percent approval against the Federation and Ferrari for the agreement that ended the investigation into the 2019 Ferrari engine, which was suspected by opponents of having evaded the rules.
“In that document, of enormous vagueness, the FIA said that the details will remain between the two parties, adding that the Scuderia Ferrari would help to assist the technicians in the control of future power units and in research on alternative fuels.
“In those paragraphs most of F1 read a compromise was made to get out of an embarrassing situation.
“So Mercedes coordinated the blatant and unusual protest by dragging in its customer teams Williams and Racing Point, but also Red Bull, AlphaTauri, McLaren and Renault. Seven out of ten, those of the Ferrari galaxy (Alpha and Haas) are missing.
“They threaten lawsuits. There is political power and money at stake. The siege operation continued, the target is not only Maranello but also the president of the FIA Jean Todt, accused of having been too soft against his former team.”
Gazzetta dello Sport’s Luigi Perna has opted to take the side of Daniele Sparisici, by stating. “Now it’s war! This is war, politics, power and even of money. If Ferrari had been found guilty of some infraction, its second place in the 2019 Constructors’ ranking and the related cash prizes would be called into question.
“But is there also something more? Could Maranello have acted with the engine within the limits of the regulation, in one of its gray areas, but be perfectly compliant?
“The team principal Mattia Binotto, admitting that he had undergone many exams and that he collaborated willingly with the Federation, also proudly claimed that Ferrari were in bounds. So why so many secrets with the FIA?
“Maybe because the agreement would reveal the thin perimeter within which Maranello acted without breaking the law? F1, in wars like this, is vaccinated.”
Meanwhile, La Republica’s Aessandra Rentico argues that the FIA is covering up their own inadequacies.
“The whole affair has shown the FIA’s fragility: the F1 government does not have the means to discover the most sophisticated tricks that dozens of engineers from each team study and experiment with.
“It’s an unequal challenge: progress helps referees in other sports. On the contrary, the technology in Formula 1 serves to increase the gap between controllers and controlled. For the benefit of the latter.”
Leo Turrini of the Il Resto del Carlino, meanwhile, believes a “spy” provided the information.
“A spy arrived, someone who knows all too well the technical secrets of Maranello and explained to competitors where the ‘trick’ lies, that is, in the management of the flow of petrol to the power unit.
“The FIA has not been able to prove malice on the part of the Cavallino, but to avoid any misunderstandings it has changed the rule on the flow of petrol. This explains the curious epilogue of the procedure, in practice a confidential transaction, however destined to send the red team’s enemies on a rampage.”