Up to six teams are opposing efforts to implement long-term regulation changes to end “porpoising” the next season.
The governing body of Formula 1 is now pushing through permanent rule changes for 2023 as a result of the most recent technical directive, but leading teams Red Bull and Ferrari are incensed.
Red Bull CEO Christian Horner criticized Mercedes, saying that “a big rule change is being pushed through so that one team can make their car lower and gain from their concept.”
According to reports, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has personally communicated with the teams over the past few weeks to understand the situation.
“I think the FIA president is doing the right thing to collect information,” said Horner.
“But I hope that a reasonable solution can be found, because it is too late to make fundamental changes to the rules.”
Dr. Helmut Marko is more publicly unhappy with the situation, insisting that changing the rules at the request of a single team is “out of the question.”
“The teams that voted for it are McLaren, Aston Martin and Mercedes,” he told Osterreich newspaper.
“Funnily enough, all teams with Mercedes engines. Is that a coincidence?” the 79-year-old Austrian asked rhetorically.
Marko said the argument is “far from over” and rejects the thesis that the FIA can simply push the changes through on the basis of safety.
“There must be valid arguments,” he said. “Just emphasising safety is not enough. And Ferrari will not accept this either.”
However, Ferrari CEO Mattia Binotto agreed: “There is no reason to consider this a safety issue.” Because most teams have mastered the art of bouncing.
“And there are fixed limits from Spa. As a result, if the cars meet the specifications, they should be safe. When the rules are changed, the normal voting process must be followed if there is no safety argument.”
That would necessitate a vote among the teams, and according to sources, Red Bull and Ferrari are backed in the matter by Alpha Tauri, Alfa Romeo, Haas, and Mercedes-powered Williams.