P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The latest in RacingNews365’s series on F1 scandals takes us to 2013 and Mercedes and Pirelli’s tyre test afrer the Spanish GP.
During the early days of Lewis Hamilton’s time with Mercedes, a scandal arose regarding a ‘secret test’ the team had done with Pirelli. The controversy stemmed from Mercedes conducting a 1000km test with its 2013 car and drivers Nico Rosberg and Hamilton on behalf of Pirelli after the Spanish GP. The 2013 Mercedes W04 had severe tire degradation issues, affecting performance during races. Mercedes and Pirelli sought FIA’s approval for the test, but rival teams like Red Bull and Ferrari were alarmed by the lack of transparency in the process. An FIA tribunal concluded that while Mercedes did break regulations by testing in-season, it was not done in bad faith, though Article 22.4 had indeed been violated. The saga cast a shadow over Rosberg’s Monaco GP win and remains a contentious point in Formula 1 history.
