Russell's 'illegal Ferrari' claim gets put in the bin as 'dramatic'

Russell had hinted that Ferrari may have manipulated tyre pressures or car settings to manage plank wear, potentially skirting the rules in the process.

But writing in his column for The Telegraph, Anderson argued that there are far more logical and efficient methods for any team to protect its floor legality without sacrificing so much performance.

“What Russell suggested is a bit wacky and far-fetched in my opinion,” Anderson wrote.

“A team would not reduce performance in this way just to stop plank wear. There are numerous other, better and less dramatic solutions.” Among them, he highlighted basic setup adjustments.

As for tyre pressures, Anderson was equally dismissive.

While Ferrari have been criticised for questionable strategy calls in the past, Anderson stressed that he did not believe Russell’s theory held water.

Instead, Anderson suggested a mechanical issue was the more likely culprit, especially given Charles Leclerc’s post-race claim of an unspecified chassis problem.

For now, Ferrari’s sudden drop in pace remains unexplained – but according to Anderson, conspiracy theories are the least convincing answer.