FIA show no concerns regarding safety of Mercedes DAS system

To use Mercedes' new dual-axis steering (DAS) system, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas need to change their grips on the steering wheel to either push or pull the wheel forward and backwards. The FIA are showing no concerns regarding the safety of the new system which was rolled out in week one of Formula 1 winter testing in Barcelona.

Mercedes opened eyes from fans and rival teams when onboard cameras picked up the strange movement of the steering wheel. This is the latest innovation in F1 which has caused controversy. It will be illegal in the 2021 regulations.

A number of previous innovations have been banned because they give too much of an advantage, or they are deemed dangerous. According to Michael Masi, the system wouldn't have been used if safety concerns were present. Mercedes suggested they have worked alongside the FIA in designing the system to check it was legal.

"I think from the FIA perspective, at the end of the day, safety is our number one element. So there are no questions regarding the safety side of it. Rest assured that that is the highest priority from our side," Masi told Autosport.

GPblog.com will be present at the second week of testing in Barcelona. Stay tuned for all the latest F1 news.