F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Lauda takes aims at Ferrari legality - wants FIA clarity asap!

Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda reiterated once again his demand for clarity on the part of the FIA with regard to the legality of Ferrari's SF71-H.

In addition to suspicions centered around the car's excessive oil consumption, which the governing body partly addressed this week by closing another loophole related to oil usage in a power unit's pressure charging system, the Scuderia has also been suspected of exploiting a sophisticated ploy to generate more energy from its battery.

The FIA's delay in addressing the various issues and its lack of clarity on the matters has unnerved Mercedes, and Lauda.

"There must be clarity before Monaco," the F1 legend told Kronen Zeitung.

"These grey areas must be clearly defined, because it simply must be the same for everyone."

Monaco this weekend marks the start of a particularly intense period for F1 teams, with a schedule of seven races within the next ten weeks.

"That's exactly why the teams need clarity now," insists Lauda, who also isn't all that confident about the Silver Arrows chances in the Principality.

"Red Bull and Ferrari are always closer on our heels. Here (at Monaco) a huge mechanical grip is needed. How it is, we'll only see in qualifying," said Lauda.

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Montoya reveals Russell’s unexpected Antonelli problem

George Russell’s battle against Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes is already a daunting challenge on pure…

41 minutes ago

Sainz: Williams struggles an ‘eye opener’ but turnaround achievable

Williams’ 2026 season was supposed to be the next step in a carefully plotted rebuild.…

2 hours ago

Pourchaire reignites single-seater career with Opel in Formula E

Former FIA Formula 2 champion Theo Pourchaire is back in the single-seater saddle, with the…

3 hours ago

Perez admits he ‘had doubts’ about returning to F1 with Cadillac

For much of 2025, the paddock conversation around Sergio Perez was surprisingly straightforward: a driver…

20 hours ago

Briatore questions Alpine’s results: ‘Why are we not winning?’

Flavio Briatore is not a man accustomed to standing on the sidelines of victory, nor…

21 hours ago

Richie Ginther: A man on the brink of F1 greatness

Richie Ginther was born on this day in 1930. A glance at the American F1…

23 hours ago