According to reports in German media, the FIA has launched an investigation into the Ferrari fuel system by seizing parts from the team.
The FIA are reported as having launched an investigation into the fuel system used by Scuderia Ferrari, and as having seized parts used by the team over the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The report, from Auto Motor und Sport in Germany, says that the FIA have seized parts from Ferrari in order to carry out “a thorough investigation of the parts will be conducted in the FIA laboratories.”
The report says that the fuel system components have been seized from Ferrari, as a well as a Ferrari customer team (ie. Alfa Romeo or Haas) as well as a ‘non-Ferrari’ powered car.
This investigation is coming about despite no formal protest being lodged by any of Ferrari’s competitors.
In recent weeks, Technical Directives have been issued from the FIA to the teams addressing different areas of the engine and fuel systems on the cars. These are believed to have been aimed at Ferrari, due to their straight line speed advantage that became hugely evident in the second half of this season. While Ferrari’s performance did dip immediately at the United States Grand Prix, there were enough mitigating circumstances to explain their lack of pace.
Coming to Interlagos, and Ferrari’s straight line speed advantage was still evident. However, it wasn’t as large as at previous events. It’s meant some raised eyebrows, but no protest was ever lodged by another team.
The Technical Directives timing, combined with Ferrari’s subsequent failure to score pole position at either event since, led Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to say “This is what happens when you stop cheating” at the United States Grand Prix.
This move by the FIA appears to be nothing more than them wanting to get a handle on how the Scuderia managed to unlock so much speed during the season, and the investigation is expected to conclude in the coming days. According to AMuS, if nothing is heard by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next week, it should be assumed nothing untoward has been uncovered.
FormulaSpy has reached out to several teams to uncover who else has had their fuel system impounded.
