FIA World Motor Sport Council unanimously backs Ferrari case

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has given “unanimous support” to both President Jean Todt and the governing body’s Technical Department over the Ferrari power unit case and has hit back at team opposition.

On Thursday the FIA admitted it was “not fully satisfied” that Ferrari had complied with the regulations at all times when operating its power unit last year but could not prove its case and therefore agreed a settlement with the Italian squad.

Earlier this week, seven of Ferrari’s rivals - Mercedes, Red Bull, McLaren, Renault, AlphaTauri, Racing Point and Williams - signed a joint statement demanding full disclosure and transparency on the matter.

With the FIA standing firm on its agreement with Ferrari, the World Motor Sport Council has also backed its decision.

“The Council expressed unanimous support for the FIA President and the FIA Technical Department in regard to the overall management of the case, and strongly opposed any comments that undermine the reputation and image of the FIA and the Formula 1 World Championship,” an FIA statement read.

Red Bull motorsport consultant Dr Helmut Marko believes his team wrongfully lost £21million in F1 prize money following the Ferrari engine case. The Milton Keynes-based squad finished 87 points behind Ferrari in the 2019 F1 world constructors’ championship.

Ferrari claimed three consecutive victories in Belgium, Italy and Singapore in its rapid increase in performance before tailing off in the latter rounds of the season when the FIA issued a technical directive amid growing suspicion from rival teams.

The seven rival F1 teams remain determined to gain clarity on the matter from the FIA.