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Brown challenges Ferrari to release FIA engine deal details under 'ethical duty'

Published on 29 Apr 2020 16:13
12
By: Coilin Higgins

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has challenged the Ferrari team to release the details of its secret engine deal with the FIA, under the morals of 'ethical duty'.

The FIA conducted a test on Ferrari's power unit last year, focusing specifically on the fuel flow system, but was unable to deduce the legality of the system due to its complexity.

A deal was made between the FIA and the Italian team, with F1's governing body only allowed to share the details of the system if approved first by Ferrari.

Referring to Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto's claims of 'moral duties' to the team's staff when taking a further budget cut into account, Brown believes that this duty should reflect on more than just the staff within the team.

"I'm all for having 'ethical duties'. And, along the lines of ethics, I think it would be great if Mattia would share with us, as the FIA has volunteered to share, what the details were behind the secret agreement that they came to over the alleged breach of regulations around their engines," Brown said.

"While we're on the topic of ethics and transparency, I think that would be a good point and time well served."

Red Bull also not impressed with secret FIA-Ferrari deal

World champions Mercedes initially led the group of seven teams looking to take legal action against the secret agreement, but Mercedes since pulled out after an alleged conversation between Ferrari chairman John Elkann and Daimler's Ola Kallenus.

Red Bull's team principal has also again spoken on the matter, with McLaren boss Zak Brown agreeing on the comments.

"The whole thing has left a bad taste. For us, it's about a lot of money," Horner said.

"It makes a difference of $20 million whether we finish second or third in the world championship, and each of our employees has an additional bonus payment based on that. We cannot just leave it like that."

Pistonhead

Posts: 556

Couldn't be further from right - The FIA said what was there wasn't right and that is in print - it fuc$$in smacks of double standards and I blame the FIA as well as Ferrari for the mess we are in now - I mean come on - a secret deal?????

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Apr 30 2020 - 17:17

F1 News Christian Horner Zak Brown McLaren Red Bull Racing

Replies (12)

f1dave

Posts: 782
Laughing to see the words Ferrari and ethics in the same sentence.
- + 1
- Apr 29 2020 - 17:48
mcbhargav

Posts: 1,332
Ferrari: and What do we get in return?
McLaren: bad press, more scrutiny, possibly less money.
Ferrari: No thanks, i'm good.
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- Apr 29 2020 - 18:56
Snooky

Posts: 121
Need to remember that Ferrari haven’t been proven to have done anything wrong. Shouldn’t be down to them to reveal what they’ve been doing to make their car faster, should be up to the others to think of something radical (like the attempt at DAS). Also need to remember that if not definitively illegal they’ll have certainly continued the development off the system to optimise it so why take the risk in giving everything away to other teams if you’ve been smart enough to figure something out yourself
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- Apr 29 2020 - 19:31
- ajpennypacker
  
  Posts: 2,475
  That's not what Jean Todt said. He was pretty clear that something was not right. Enough that Ferrari prevented the release of the report. If there was nothing illegal Ferrari would have force FIA to say so don't you think?
  + 1
  
  Apr 29 2020 - 21:25
- Snooky
  
  Posts: 121
  He said he thinks they were doing something wrong but couldn’t prove whether it was legal or illegal. On that basis FIA shouldn’t be allowed to reveal it. I’m not the biggest Ferrari fan by any stretch but I’m a fan of teams finding way of getting around the loopholes and innovating. The initial comments the FIA made revealing the investigation kind of ruined it all. Ferrari have been pretty quiet about it all except to say their info and tech shouldn’t be shared. It’s likely they were doing something dodgy, it seems logical. But if it can’t be proved I don’t think it’s right they should give the info out
  + 1
  
  Apr 29 2020 - 22:37
- siggy74
  
  Posts: 194
  Either way proven or not, the Car got slower after the FIA started having a look ;p
  
  No smoke,lol with out extra fuel.... or that tractor engine at start up coughs..
  + 0
  
  Apr 30 2020 - 12:56
- Snooky
  
  Posts: 121
  Of course, it looks dodgy and as I said it probably was. But if they can’t prove it I don’t see why they should be expected to release the info. When people get caught doing dodgy things it’s never normally expected that they tell everyone how they’ve done it. Sometimes it’s obvious, sometimes it’s not. No one is expecting Merc to reveal how they get DAS working, or redbull with their flexi front wing/possible traction control a few years back. They stopped doing it and that was the end of it
  + 1
  
  Apr 30 2020 - 13:35
- Pistonhead
  
  Posts: 556
  Couldn't be further from right - The FIA said what was there wasn't right and that is in print - it fuc$$in smacks of double standards and I blame the FIA as well as Ferrari for the mess we are in now - I mean come on - a secret deal?????
  + 2
  
  Apr 30 2020 - 17:17
- Snooky
  
  Posts: 121
  The FIA said they believe something wasn’t right but had no way of proving what and how. There’s a difference between that and proving it. I think the problem is that the FIA have come out with the comments about how they believe something wasn’t right and that a deal was made and now look slightly incompetent, they’ve been outsmarted by the people they govern. Things get banned all the time and no one else is expected to reveal details of what they were doing. I get it’s Ferrari and people often assume the worst, but all teams need to be treated the same and nobody else is expected to do what’s being asked of ferrari
  + 0
  
  May 1 2020 - 23:00
Bilstar

Posts: 54
Lock them up! Lock them up! Lock them up! etc
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- Apr 30 2020 - 13:53
- Pistonhead
  
  Posts: 556
  Throw them to the lions, throw them to the lions, throw them to the lions .......
  + 0
  
  Apr 30 2020 - 17:18
calle.itw

Posts: 8,527
Ferrari will never do it themselves, it just doesn't make sense for them as long as the FIA cannot directly prove something is off (or at least why something is off). I cannot blame them for that, but it's yet another reason why I have to fail my kid self and can never truly return to my naive Ferrari fan days. Ethically they might be obliged to do it, but morally they aren't really as long as the FIA doesn't force it, and moral is what counts in this world. At the end of the day, the FIA are the ones who look bad here, soft and silly as always.
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- Apr 30 2020 - 19:10