Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsFIA

FIA clears Mercedes and Ferrari over trick oil system

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After suspecting that Mercedes and Ferrari may have been using trick oil systems to gain an illegal advantage, the FIA has now cleared both teams of any wrongdoing following a thorough investigation.

Suspicions by the FIA regarding a potential technical breach arose after this year's Spanish Grand Prix, when the sporting authority believed that some teams might have been collecting and storing fuel beyond the flow meters in order to gain a power advantage.

But no team was found guilty of exploiting such a system, which subsequently lead the FIA to focus on oil systems and the potential use of performance enhancing chemicals which may have been added to the mix.

After the Canadian Grand Prix, samples were extracted from the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel, and submitted to a detailed analysis.

In a report released by the FIA and seen by F1i, the authority confirmed that neither team were practicing what they were suspected of.

"From these results, it can be concluded that the auxiliary oil tank is not being used to add performance-boosting components, either to the main or to the combustion chamber via the sump breather into the air intake."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.