Ferrari team boss on mirrors Mercedes: "Need to talk about it"

There is a lot going on at the first day of testing at the Bahrain circuit about this season's Mercedes car. The W13 is very advanced, more advanced even than Formula 1 itself had thought possible. Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto let it be known in the press conference that he doesn't think the German rival's new car is illegal.

Christian Horner had done so earlier on Thursday, although Red Bull Racing later backtracked by issuing a statement. Between the morning and afternoon sessions, Binotto was asked if he has any doubts about the legality of the Mercedes.

"As Toto pointed out, they had to go through a fixed process with the FIA. I would also be surprised if they did anything illegal," the Ferrari top executive said in conversation with Auto, Motor und Sport among others. When designing and introducing new parts, the FIA watches to make sure no limits are crossed.

Mercedes mirrors under the microscope

At Ferrari they think everything is therefore in line with the regulations, although Binotto does see a point of discussion. "The solution with the mirrors surprised us. We need to talk about that. Otherwise, the mirrors will look like spaceships at some point." The sidepods at Mercedes have all but disappeared, but above them, on a separate plane, you can now see an extra wing with the mirrors mounted on it. So Ferrari and Red Bull don't seem to be in total agreement right away.