Verstappen’s diplomatic answer to Ferrari saga
With the deadline for the FIA to reveal details about Ferrari’s 2019 engine come and gone, Max Verstappen is avoiding the landmine he stepped on last year by accusing the Scuderia of “cheating”.
Last season Ferrari’s engine made headlines when rivals wrote to the FIA questioning its fuel flow.
According to the likes of Red Bull, Ferrari’s engine was somehow skirting the FIA sensor allowing for greater fuel flow and by doing that increasing the power.
That’s illegal and the FIA issued Technical Directives to curb such practice.
Ferrari lost pace and Verstappen told the world that’s “what happens when you stop cheating”.
Sebastian Vettel said the comments were “not professional, or mature” while Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri said he would not “give credibility to a 22-year-old kid”.
It looks like Verstappen may have learned a lesson in diplomacy.
Asked about the Ferrari engine, he told the Sydney Morning Herald: “I leave it up to the teams.
“For everyone I think it’s important for us to have a level playing field.
“That’s what we all want, that’s all I can say about it.
“I think they [governing body FIA] in the past have been making the right decisions so let’s see what the teams and the FIA come up with.”
At present Red Bull is not happy with the FIA’s handling of the matter.
Motorsport’s governing body gave Ferrari a free pass on the engine, announcing a settlement with the Scuderia as the FIA felt it would never get to the bottom of the matter.
Ferrari’s rivals, including Red Bull and Mercedes, are not impressed.
They want the FIA to release details or else they will take legal action.
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