Ferrari misstated the amount of gasoline in Charles Leclerc's car. This is not a trivial offence. Nevertheless, the Italians escaped with a fine. Formula 1 expert Michael Schmidt sees this as a wrong sign.
One hour before the start of the last Grand Prix of the year, the ten teams received an explosive post. The FIA announced that Ferrari had given the wrong amount of gasoline in the car with start number 16. As it turned out later, there were 6.6 litres more in the tank than was stated on the specification sheet, which all teams have to submit to the sports authorities for all cars a few hours before the start of the race.
The FIA checks the data randomly. When checking the tank contents, it is usually the top teams who are affected. It's an elaborate procedure to weigh the car twice, once with fuel, once without and in between to drain fuel and refill it. It wouldn't be the time to check all 20 vehicles in the hectic pace of the start preparations. Of course, the teams know that too.
Wrong information no trivial offence
The indication of the fuel quantity is important for the FIA. This allows the FIA to check after the race whether no more than the permitted 110 kilograms (149 litres) have really been consumed from start to finish. Of course, more petrol will be filled into the tanks before the race. You have to warm up the engines in the garage, the drivers do several laps until they arrive on the grid. Then there's the formation lap, the lap of honour, the donuts.
None of that counts as consumption. So it has to be deducted. So you need a starting value. Of course, the FIA constantly checks the fuel flow rate and weighs the cars again at the end of the race. But all this could theoretically be flawed if a car were equipped with a secret additional tank. Not possible? Everything has been there before. Just think of BAR 2005.
That's why the wrong specification of the tank content is not a trivial offence. Whoever accuses evil could speak of a fraud attempt. It doesn't matter if you were honest afterwards. The first inconsistency in this case begins with the fact that the sports commissioners did not reach a verdict until three and a half hours after the race. Here you go, the offence was known one hour before the start. Before the race it must be clear whether the car will be disqualified or not. Imagine if Leclerc had been taken out of the standings afterwards. Then Monegasse would have risked his life for nothing. His great drive to the podium would have been worth nothing.
Fine doesn't hurt any team
FIA Racing Director Michael Masi talked himself out of giving Ferrari the opportunity to comment on the case. The FIA justified its decision by saying that Charles Leclerc did not use more petrol than the rules state. That is irrelevant. If a car is below the weight limit, nobody asks if it was an accident or an intention. The car is illegal.
It also makes no difference whether a technical rule, the sports regulations or a technical directive has been violated. The mere possibility that a team could use the fuel difference to cheat is reason enough to disqualify the car. The 50,000 Euro fine is the completely wrong sign. Everybody thinks that he can buy his way out with money in the future.
The mistake in the argumentation of the sports commissioners is the following. The fine does not hurt any team. Especially not if it knows that it is a fraud attempt without risk. If I am informed before the race that the actual tank content does not correspond to the stated value, i.e. that there is an initial suspicion, then no team will be so stupid as to let it come down in the race and consume more than permitted.
This verdict is an invitation for all those who deliberately wanted to trick the rules. With the small number of tank checks before the race, you have a good chance of getting through with 20 participants. And if not, I'll pay 50,000 Euros and have been warned. The penalty in the Leclerc case is out of proportion to what drivers expect if they ignore the weighing procedure on a Friday. That means, without the hope of mercy: start from the pit lane. And on a Friday it's really all about the golden pineapple.
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