Shock collusion allegations

According to this week's Autosport magazine, a 'high-level F1 source' has told the magazine that there is reason to believe that Ferrari has been heavily consulted about the planned rule changes for 2005 and that the team may have pushed for the rules to favour its own cause. This would have allowed the team extra months to design its 2005 car while its rivals remained in the dark.

Williams and McLaren in particular are likely to suffer under the proposed regulations for both sport a twin keel suspension mounting system. The new rules prescribe, among others, a raising of the front wing, which would virtually guarantee that the two teams would have to ditch their twin-keel concept in favour of the single-keel, which Ferrari already adopts.

The source also told the magazine that there were suspicions that both Ferrari and Renault have been in close discussions with the FIA regarding the planned introduction of two-race engines ahead of the switch to 2.4-litre V8 engines in 2006, proposals that neither BMW, Mercedes nor Honda are in support of. There are even suggestions that Renault and Ferrari have been working on the new concepts for some time.

"Don't be surprised if two teams start next season with a big advantage," the source told Autosport.

Ferrari's general manager Jean Todt denied that the team received information about the regulations before its rivals.

"We had them at the same time that you had," he said to the media, "maybe a few hours before."

The FIA has also strongly denied the accusations of helping Ferrari's cause labeling them 'ridiculous'.

"Of all the ridiculous accusations that could be made against the FIA, perhaps the most ridiculous is that we would want Ferrari to be more dominant," a FIA spokesman said. "Did any of these people making these accusations actually watch the race in Hungary?"