Starting to pop up on twitter that RBR have launched a official protest to the stewards. I think they'll do nothing and it'll come down to a court-FIA kind of thing.
Tobias Grüner F1 ‏@tgruener #F1 Ferrari joined Red Bulls protest bid against Mercedes. Craig Scarborough ‏@ScarbsF1 2m The Merc Pirelli test was FIA sanctioned, within the rules and with 2014 tyres. So all legal, but the PR has been handled very badly
I think Scarbs has hit the nail on the head, from everything that's been said, Red Bull appear to be complaining for the sake of it, there's really nothing in it.
Jon Noble ‏@NobleF1 Important to state that the protest does not relate to the Monaco Grand Prix result. It is a completely separate rules breach allegation
nothing in it? one team has been given a free test with the tyres which are causing everyone a problem, that's such a blatant advantage it's a joke, if Mercedes win today then all the teams who didn't have a very valid complaint. Jean Todt doing a favour for his good buddy Brawn?
Yeah, it's a PR disaster, but equally, why did we never hear about Ferrari testing post-Bahrain, again presumably with 2014-spec tyres? It doesn't make sense for Red Bull to be protesting against Mercedes and not Ferrari too, and equally it seems very odd for Ferrari to then join the protests, when they'd had the same 'advantage' themselves. The tyres tested were 2014 spec, and both Mercedes and Pirelli have said they were coded so Mercedes had little idea what they were testing. I suspect Pirelli ran an almost identical set of tyres to the Ferrari test, and will be able to compare data about the cars used too to hopefully reduce the car factor in their conclusions. Mercedes couldn't run any new parts, and Pirelli needed a stable base to little set-up work could have been done, not that it'd be much use after a GP anyway.
The interesting point is the "2014" tyres thing, because crybaby Horner is whinging that they were using tyres used at this Grand prix, or due to be used in a future one this season... So is Horner just milking it like a stricken footballer, or is this a genuine gripe?
Ah, interesting development. Ferrari used a 2010 car for their test post-Bahrain, so presumably they're complaining because Mercedes used their 2013 car. Fair enough.
There was a secret test at Barcelona before the Spanish GP where Ferrari were using the F150. Someone got it on video and Pius Gasso took pictures. EDIT: Here it is. This was taken on April 23rd: please log in to view this image Video: http://www.mobypicture.com/user/piusgasso3/view/15170420
so the team with terrible tyre wear and generally go backwards have a secretive test and suddenly are the class of the field. If this had been a red bull test people here would be spitting feathers.
Things may go pear shaped please log in to view this image a 'note to the media' from the FIA's head of communications
So I guess the next question is who's supplying F1 tyres next year now? Pirelli are looking like they are on their way out and the way this seasons happening I don't think many tyre companies will be that keen to jump in their place and then take all that stick for doing what they were asked to do. Could we go back into a tyre war? 2014 is looking more and more uncertain and no racing will happen if a tyre supplier can't be found. Michelin and Cooper Avon bid again Pirelli originally, will they still be interested after all the fuss?
Interesting! So either Pirelli have to offer every other team an equivalent test, or Mercedes presumably face sanctions? On the topic of a tyre supplier, I still think Pirelli will do at least one more year, as nobody else could step in at this point. They're clearly working on 2014 tyres at least.
I think Pirelli are quite progressed with regard to 2014 but going off the chatter from the big F1 journalists Pirelli are looking likely to pack it in at the end of the season.
