FIA-Ferrari PU Statement Controversy

[the EDGE]

I have to give it to Racefans Dieter Rencken, he seems to have been one step ahead of the rest of the media from the very start

Why the FIA struck a confidential deal over Ferrari’s power unit https://www.racefans.net/2020/03/02/why ... ower-unit/

[TAG]

How long is this thread going to run, beyond the FIA clarification? Now that FIA deemed the matter to be closed, may be the mods should now rename this thread to "Public display of anger, frustration and ignorance towards Ferrari via a large dose of Speculation".

I think it will go until Qualifying day in Melbourne.

[the EDGE]

How long is this thread going to run, beyond the FIA clarification? Now that FIA deemed the matter to be closed, may be the mods should now rename this thread to "Public display of anger, frustration and ignorance towards Ferrari via a large dose of Speculation".

I am sorry, but what? They have just clarified that the engines are not within regulation at all times. How much of a clear statement would you need from the Governing body to clarify the problem? This is not going to go away, the matter must be resolved because of a lot of money involved in the positioning of the Championship.

They have done nothing more than clarify that they didn’t believe Ferrari. What they have said is they haven’t been able to prove anything

Teams won’t be happy but what can they do?

The puzzling piece is still WHY the need for a confidential agreement, and of corse what the Confidential agreement is. But it is the WHY the need that I think the teams will push for next

[e30ernest]

How long is this thread going to run, beyond the FIA clarification? Now that FIA deemed the matter to be closed, may be the mods should now rename this thread to "Public display of anger, frustration and ignorance towards Ferrari via a large dose of Speculation".

I am sorry, but what? They have just clarified that the engines are not within regulation at all times. How much of a clear statement would you need from the Governing body to clarify the problem? This is not going to go away, the matter must be resolved because of a lot of money involved in the positioning of the Championship.

They have done nothing more than clarify that they didn’t believe Ferrari. What they have said is they haven’t been able to prove anything

Teams won’t be happy but what can they do?

The puzzling piece is still WHY the need for a confidential agreement, and of corse what the Confidential agreement is. But it is the WHY the need that I think the teams will push for next

Yeah I think had the FIA said that they have found nothing conclusive to anything illegal with the Ferrari PU last year wouldn't have raised as many eyebrows as Friday's PR did. All they did was erode trust in them from some of the fans and teams.

[mafeotul]

I am sorry, but what? They have just clarified that the engines are not within regulation at all times. How much of a clear statement would you need from the Governing body to clarify the problem? This is not going to go away, the matter must be resolved because of a lot of money involved in the positioning of the Championship.

They have done nothing more than clarify that they didn’t believe Ferrari. What they have said is they haven’t been able to prove anything

Teams won’t be happy but what can they do?

The puzzling piece is still WHY the need for a confidential agreement, and of corse what the Confidential agreement is. But it is the WHY the need that I think the teams will push for next

Yeah I think had the FIA said that they have found nothing conclusive to anything illegal with the Ferrari PU last year wouldn't have raised as many eyebrows as Friday's PR did. All they did was erode trust in them from some of the fans and teams.

The statement in itself ones up more questions than answers again. What kind of governing body cannot prove something built under their technical regulations which they have to enforce and govern? That's borderline pathetic.

[TAG]

Liberty Media must be thrilled with the Ferrari/FiA agreem... erm, scheme, it doesn't erode the value of their investment one bit.

[DChemTech]

How long is this thread going to run, beyond the FIA clarification? Now that FIA deemed the matter to be closed, may be the mods should now rename this thread to "Public display of anger, frustration and ignorance towards Ferrari via a large dose of Speculation".

I am sorry, but what? They have just clarified that the engines are not within regulation at all times. How much of a clear statement would you need from the Governing body to clarify the problem? This is not going to go away, the matter must be resolved because of a lot of money involved in the positioning of the Championship.

They have done nothing more than clarify that they didn’t believe Ferrari. What they have said is they haven’t been able to prove anything

Teams won’t be happy but what can they do?

The puzzling piece is still WHY the need for a confidential agreement, and of corse what the Confidential agreement is. But it is the WHY the need that I think the teams will push for next

And why Ferrari is getting a community service in 'fixing' the regulation gap they likely exploited - which, if anything, provides them an advantage on exactly this aspect. This does not at all seem like a punishment. What's next, letting millionaires rewrite the tax loopholes they're exploiting ?

[JPBD1990]

Essentially the statement says the FIA suspected wrong doing but has no evidence and can’t prove it in a court of law. Even if Ferrari WERE cheating, I would be PISSED that the FIA is dragging their name through the mud when they themselves admit they don’t have a leg to stand on

The settlement certainly suggests guilt, which makes the fact a settlement was reached frankly disgusting.

The fact Ferrari isn’t in a complete and absolute rage about the FIA dragging them through the mud with no evidence also adds weight to them being guilty.

The teams are not going to take this lying down. I fully expect redbull to litigate

[Unc1eM0nty]

Wolff, Marko and co will make a big mess on the new Ferrari engine because they want to discover and understand what's underneath. They are putting lot of pressure on the FIA ​​to know every detail for then copying it.

I don't think this is the case.

Up till now the system of policing the rules has worked pretty well, teams question the legality of a part or device, the FIA issue a technical directive which either approves it, or, clarifies the rule which prohibits it's use. If the later then sometimes they issue a penalty like they did to Reanault with their braking blalance trick.

Now we have a situation where neither outcome seems to apply, Ferrari have obviously stopped what it's doing - so we can take it that this "inovation" is not allowed. If it's not allowed then why hasent a directive or penalty been applied (a real penatly).

It's not a case of copying anything, the FIA just look weak because they can't issue a clear explaination of what they found.

[Xwang]

Is being suspected and "not proved" of doing something a guilt?

[mafeotul]

Essentially the statement says the FIA suspected wrong doing but has no evidence and can’t prove it in a court of law. Even if Ferrari WERE cheating, I would be PISSED that the FIA is dragging their name through the mud when they themselves admit they don’t have a leg to stand on

The settlement certainly suggests guilt, which makes the fact a settlement was reached frankly disgusting.

The fact Ferrari isn’t in a complete and absolute rage about the FIA dragging them through the mud with no evidence also adds weight to them being guilty.

The teams are not going to take this lying down. I fully expect redbull to litigate

Finally someone talking some sense. I expect a full blown reply from all the teams. This might have just killed Ferrari's entire season.

[RZS10]

As has been mentioned by some in the Ferrari engine thread ... this is very much a case of a typical Deferred Prosecution or Non-Prosecution Agreement (DPA/NPA)- not going to court trying to reduce potential damage to either party involved even though it's clear one party is guilty.

It's like a murderer walking free, but not because the police could not find any evidence but because the prosecutors did not have a lab and the necessary equipment to process the DNA samples found at the scene.

I can imagine that the other teams will ask whether Ferrari actually stopped bending the rules now, if the FIA can assure them that it is the case some might be happy with just that reply which essentially confirms Ferrari did not play by the rules.

[JPBD1990]

Essentially the statement says the FIA suspected wrong doing but has no evidence and can’t prove it in a court of law. Even if Ferrari WERE cheating, I would be PISSED that the FIA is dragging their name through the mud when they themselves admit they don’t have a leg to stand on

The settlement certainly suggests guilt, which makes the fact a settlement was reached frankly disgusting.

The fact Ferrari isn’t in a complete and absolute rage about the FIA dragging them through the mud with no evidence also adds weight to them being guilty.

The teams are not going to take this lying down. I fully expect redbull to litigate

Finally someone talking some sense. I expect a full blown reply from all the teams. This might have just killed Ferrari's entire season.

And for the record, I’m a Ferrari fan.

It’s clear that Ferrari settled to prevent eventual litigation against them, indicating they knew what they were doing was in breach of the regulations.

If that wasn’t the case, they would have a thousand lawyers knocking down the FIA’s door for daring to suggest they were guilty while having no evidence to support it.

Again, I’m a Ferrari fan - but a settlement should not have been possible. I would have stuck by Ferrari even if they got sanctioned for cheating (rightly, if that’s the case). This is worse.

[Restomaniac]

How long is this thread going to run, beyond the FIA clarification? Now that FIA deemed the matter to be closed, may be the mods should now rename this thread to "Public display of anger, frustration and ignorance towards Ferrari via a large dose of Speculation".

I think it will go until Qualifying day in Melbourne.

I doubt that.
This is gunna be dragged through the courts now. The second FIA statement which amounts to ‘yeah we’re sure they were cheating but are unwilling to fight to prove it’ pretty much assures that.

Remember there are past cases in which a team was kicked out of a championship by the FIA. The very first that jumps to mind is the 1995 world rally championship. As such there are literally millions on the line here for the other teams if a case is won.

[jumpingfish]

How are 7 teams going to challenge the FIA decision? To prove Ferrari's guilt, they must provide undeniable evidence. If there was an informant / spy in Ferrari, his testimony could not be used as evidence, because this would immediately entail serious consequences for those in whose favor the spy stole. Hopeless situation for 7 teams.