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Mercedes wheel controversy is over: The matter is settled

Mercedes wheel controversy is over: "The matter is settled"

15-11-2018 14:37
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Nicolás Quarles van Ufford

The FIA considers the controversy around Mercedes' alternative wheel rim designs to be settled, as other teams like Ferrari complained about the design which had holes and grooves on the German car.

Ferrari thought that this design was a breach of regulation, as F1 has banned moving aerodynamic parts on cars, a rule which was made two decades ago when Williams were dominating the sport with a car which had 'active' suspension.

Mercedes hadn't used the design since the Japan Grand Prix to avoid any potential fines or penalties, despite the FIA ruling it legal ahead of the American Grand Prix.

“We think the matter is settled,” F1 race director Charlie Whiting told Crash.net in Brazil.

“If they’ve asked the stewards to do the same thing they did in Mexico, my answer to you was, no they didn’t.

“The reason they were allowed to take it to the stewards in Mexico was because in the sporting code, they were asking to settle a matter. They did that.

“If they came back with the same question the stewards would be unlikely to do it because the last time it didn’t settle the matter. So, that was it really.

“It’s just a technical opinion that we’ve given. We will continue to use that opinion in any similar cases. In the meantime I imagine that we will, once the dust has settled on this season, we’ll attempt to do something about it.”

Despite the controversy, Mercedes cruised to their fifth consecutive double title this year, with Lewis Hamilton sealing his fifth title in Mexico.