The Mercedes AMG F1 team appears to be again embroiled in another feud with the FIA. Toto Wolff was extremely vocal over their race director’s decisions at the final race of the 2021 season, with veiled threats Mercedes could withdraw from the sport unless the race director was sacked, this feud continued into 2022, and appears to have yet another controversal installment, this time – how Mercedes display their FIA branding on the W13 F1 car.
The battle between Mercedes AMG F1 continued into 2022 after Abu Dhabi last year with the refusal by Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff to attend the mandatory end-of-season FIA gala, for which Hamilton admitted he’d been fined.
Another point of conflict between the two parties recently has been the FIA’s clamp down on a 15 year rule over driver’s wearing jewellery. Of course Lewis Hamilton is the most ‘bling’ of all the drivers and this enforcement would affect him more than others.
However, behind the scenes, it appears Mercedes have been having their own silent protest to the FIA over a sticker in a continuation of the feud. All the cars have to run at the front of the car an ‘FIA’ sticker which is of a given size and dimensions.
It appears Mercedes have been deliberately reducing and obscuring the size of this sticker and this weekend have been forced to apply the proper dimensions to their FIA sticker.
TJ13 has learned that now it’s the size the FIA want it to be but they’ve [Mercedes] have more or less hidden it underneath the nose.
Surely it’s not smart to continue to irritate the sport’s regulating body as to when a grey area decision needs to be made, Mercedes will find themselves again ‘unjustly’ treated.
Amazing how much crying the FIA do over silly things. But when it comes to the disaster of last year it’s ok. It’s only a silly sticker. We all know it’s FIA F1 because we do. Plus with it been on every item on the track it’s also visible for all to see.
This is a case of control. FIA say do something no matter what the sense, if not we will fine you.
When will all these stupid regulations and in fighting cease ? How much more are we to endure ? What use are the stickers for, just to tell the fans this is a F1 car ? Just who is running the F1 show these days ? Sorry, I give up on F1. Indy car for me now.
Amazing how much crying mb do over a sticker. Who knows why this is important for fia but who cares. If tgey want there sticker than put it on and don’t make a fuzz about it. Of course you can find it ridiculous as does all other teams, but sabotaging it brings you to the kindergarten level.
MB was very strong in naming non-compliance last winter. They pointed out that not everything would have gone according to the rules etc..
Then you have to act according to the same rules yourself.