Ferrari floor flex rumour swirls in Bahrain

Rumours from China's paddock have travelled with the Formula 1 community to Bahrain, as there are more rumblings that the Ferrari is flexing at high speeds. While accusations are not new in Formula 1, former driver turned pundit Christian Danner says he noticed something peculiar about the Ferrari: "If I was one of the other teams, I would want it checked," he told RTL television.

The focus is on the floor of the SF70-H, as an unnamed engineer is quoted as saying: "There are slow motion recordings of Raikkonen in testing, when the floor actually bends downwards at the sides."

However, others are less sceptical, saying the car is well within the limits of the new regulations: "This is not just about the car or the engine, but the whole," said Gunther Steiner, boss of small Ferrari-linked American team Haas.

"Ferrari started developing the car early last season -- earlier than Mercedes," he told Auto Bild. "And Mattia Binotto is a very, very good technical manager who had a consistent plan from the outset."

"The innovative sidepods are typical Rory Byrne,"  Marc Surer told German television Sky. "This year it is also much easier for the drivers to get the car in the right tyre window, which is also typical of Byrne cars."

Fergal Walsh