Lauda unhappy with lag in FIA technical decisions

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Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda wants the FIA to speed up its process of deciding the legality of a car or its components.

Lauda pointed to several ongoing investigations involving issues with Ferrari which the Austrian believes are simply taking too much time to clarify.

"There have been rumours about the smoke produced by the Ferrari when it starts," said the F1 legend.

"We're quite limited in the amount of oil you can burn."

But Lauda also referred to a pending probe into the battery pack of the Scuderia's SF71-H.

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"That means they (the FIA) are investigating something. We do not think they're illegal, what I'm saying is that you cannot just investigate forever," he told Bild am Sonntag.

"Someday you have to decide: Is it ok or not? For me it has taken too long."

Ferrari's new halo-attached aero mirrors were also called into question in Barcelona, with the governing body ultimately declaring the assembly as illegal, although tolerated in Spain for practical purposes.

"We think it's about the interpretation of the term 'attachment' and we think what they have done is not an attachment," said FIA race director Charlie Whiting.

"Now we will send out a technical directive to the teams where we will state everything very clearly."

Whiting said that clarifying a rule after a team pushes the boundaries is "normal", especially when rivals express "a difference of opinion".

"If it was clear that the Ferrari solution was against the rules, we would have not allowed it in Barcelona. Instead we are now going to explain everything," he added.

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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.