Ferrari also summoned to explain tyre testing

The FIA have asked both Mercedes and Ferrari to explain their tyre tests during the season. Mercedes' secret test at Barcelona that was protested by Ferrari and Red Bull therefore gets an extra swing.

It has emerged that Ferrari's Corse Cliente division has provided a 2011 Ferrari for Pirelli to test new tyres, with the car reportedly run by Kamui Kobayashi. It is with this test in mind that the FIA now needs explanations from Ferrari as well, even though they lodged protest against Mercedes AMG's test themselves.

"The FIA has asked Team Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 and Scuderia Ferrari Team which have taken part in tyre tests in the 2013 season to reply to a disciplinary inquiry in pursuance of the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules."

"This follows the Stewards' Report from the Monaco Grand Prix and represents supplementary information required by the FIA in the light of the replies received from Pirelli, who were asked for clarifications on Tuesday May 28th."

The difference with Ferrari's test however is that Mercedes AMG obviously used the 2013 Mercedes AMG F1W04 car, something which Ferrari is likely to use as its argument for its own protest. In this respect, the sporting regulations say that testing is banned for "racecars which conform substantially with the current Formula 1 technical regulations in addition to those from the previous or subsequent year".

Ferrari have as such understood it would be acceptable to run a car from 2011, but their summoning might prove otherwise.