Mercedes probably not only team with wrong tyre pressures

Paul Hembery has played down the assertion that Mercedes could have fiddled with its tyre pressures to have them running lower during the Italian Grand Prix, suggesting it is likely other teams had also inadvertently run them illegally.

Mercedes was almost disqualified from the Monza event earlier this month after a tyre on both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg's cars was found to be under the permitted limit of pressure.

A subsequent investigation confirmed as much, but the FIA accepted Mercedes' reasoning that it had correctly followed procedures as set out in the regulations and had therefore not done anything illegally.

The team then argued that it wouldn't have knowingly attempted to gain an advantage anyway since it couldn't then regulate the tyre pressure drop, which it says would have worsened its performance.

With the FIA and Pirelli introducing revised protocols from Singapore to prevent a repeat, Hembery says that Mercedes has been highlighted, he suggests the way the offence occurred means it probably wasn't the only team at fault.

"Have to say in fairness to Mercedes, there is no suggestion they were trying to do anything wrong. It was more a case of interpretation and I think if we had gone down the grid and down a few others would also be running low.

"I think that was the importance to have some clarity at what point things will be checked. Same with running during the weekend, it is the pressure as the tyres are about to be mounted onto the car. They have to be at the minimum level."