Ferrari, Red Bull and Lotus not asked about secret Pirelli F1 test
Leading Formula 1 teams Lotus, Ferrari and Red Bull insist they were never asked about the possibility of testing a 2013 car for Pirelli after the Spanish Grand Prix
As the row over Mercedes' secret Pirelli test escalates ahead of a report being sent to the FIA by the Monaco GP stewards, rival teams remain deeply unhappy about what has happened.
And with the FIA having made it clear that permission for Mercedes to test its 2013 car was conditional on other outfits being offered the same opportunity by Pirelli, a number of top teams have said the chance to run a contemporary car was never mentioned to them.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said he was aware of a letter from Pirelli sent last year that offered the possibility of individual tyre tests, but he claimed there was never a mention of it being possible with a current car.
F1's current testing regulations, in addition to a separate agreement between the teams, outlaws any form of in-season testing with a current car - except for a young driver test.
Speaking about what Pirelli had offered, Horner said: "We never believed it complied with the regulations.
"Of course Pirelli has wanted to test for quite some time, and the compromise that was reached was for them to test with the Lotus (Renault) car; as they had the Toyota that was out of date. That was a compromise.
"At one point, there was a proposal that they should do it with the team that had won the world championship, but of course that was met with complete horror [by rival teams] and would have had to be unanimously agreed upon anyway. It would not have been.
"So any requests to test have always been, in the view of the majority of the teams in the paddock, outside of the regulations - so not possible."
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said: "For two years it was clear that Pirelli, in order for them to do some testing, asked all of the teams to do some running.
"For us, it was very clear that we could not do that with the [current] car.
"That's why, even if they didn't formally ask us, we did not believe that it was possible to do it."
Although Lotus did not join in Red Bull and Ferrari in protesting against Mercedes, team boss Eric Boullier made it clear he too was unhappy with the situation.
When asked to clarify if Lotus was asked to do a test with its 2013 car, Boullier said: "No.
"I heard the same rumours [about the FIA granting permission] but whatever permission was given, it should have been allowed to everybody.
"And at least you should make it aware to everybody: not just go and test on your own somewhere."
Boullier suggests that the argument over whether or not Mercedes gained an advantage from the test is irrelevant, because the crux of the issue is that the in-season testing ban rules were broken.
"There is a sporting regulation in place, and even a testing agreement between the teams," he said.
"They could have gained an advantage from this, and they did it because they could gain an advantage. But it is more to do with a breach of the sporting regulations."
Kamui Kobayashi gets first Ferrari F1 test in 2010 car at Fiorano
Mark Hughes: Mercedes' Monaco masterplan
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
LMP2 winner Allen 'wasn't breathing' in Daytona 24 photo finish
Proton Competition driver James Allen says he wasn't breathing when he drafted past Ben Hanley's Crowdstrike Racing by APR car to steal LMP2 victory in the Daytona 24 Hours.
Why floor designs have become a key F1 battleground
The new ground effect floor design is perhaps one of the biggest changes that Formula 1 teams have had to adapt to under the new rules era.
Rast had to "creep" over Diriyah FE line to beat Bird to third
Rene Rast had to "creep" over the Diriyah E-Prix finish line to keep hold of third over Sam Bird, having run out of energy in his McLaren Formula E car.
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.