Mercedes was not found 'guilty' of breaking the rules, Niki Lauda insists. The German team has been banned from the forthcoming young drivers test at Silverstone, and was officially reprimanded for running its 2013 car and race drivers in a secret test with Pirelli at Barcelona last month.
"There was no rule violation," triple world champion Lauda, the Brackley based team's chairman and a co-owner, told Austrian broadcaster ORF. "We got a warning -- not even a yellow card which could lead to a red card. We were excluded from the young driver test, which is a judgement that we can live with absolutely."
Lauda said the international tribunal made its verdict with the 'sport' - as opposed to the political intrigue that has filled the headlines in the past days - in mind. "All the intrigue and the stories were not fair, because everything was done correctly in the sense of how we came to do this test," he insisted.
Lauda therefore slammed those who were heavily critical of Mercedes' behaviour, like Red Bull who reportedly wanted a $100 million fine and hefty points deductions. "Red Bull went with this story very aggressively," he said, "interpreting everything that could be interpreted into it. The paddock is a snake pit but the FIA tribunal is a court, which clearly decided that it was not a rule violation, but a different interpretation of various regulations."
However, Lauda said the outcome of the tyre-dominated situation in F1 this year is that Pirelli is now unable to adjust its tyres. "They wanted to bring new tyres to Montreal, and then they should have been in Silverstone, now they are not. So if it gets really hot at Silverstone, which can sometimes happen, the problem with the many pitstops will likely continue," he insisted.
"So I don't understand this rule," said Lauda, referring to the need for unanimity in the paddock before changes to the tyres can be made immediately. If Pirelli says we want to have a different tyre because it's better for us (Pirelli), for the cars, for everyone, then someone is always going to say no. So this rule is a disaster," he charged. (GMM)
Order the latest Mercedes merchandise here!
Mercedes not found guilty of violating the rules - Lauda
- Published on 25 Jun 2013 14:28
-
0
- By: Rob Veenstra
.
Trending news
-
Why McLaren is ready to hand Norris a contract beyond 2030Lando Norris is expected to become the latest driver to commit his long-term future to a single team, with McLaren pr...
26 Aug 2026 12:57 -
Why Verstappen's rare Zandvoort mistake shocked Timo GlockMax Verstappen's heavy crash at the Dutch Grand Prix left Timo Glock relieved the Red Bull driver escaped unscath...
26 Aug 2026 17:04 -
Max Verstappen's wildest racing challenge yet revealedMax Verstappen will return to karting next month in a format never seen before. The Red Bull Racing driver will face ...
26 Aug 2026 16:02 -
Why Verstappen's rare Zandvoort error stunned his ex-Red Bull mechanicMax Verstappen's heavy first-lap crash at Zandvoort has left those closest to him visibly shaken, with former Red...
26 Aug 2026 15:00 -
New F1 circuit sees nineteen red flags in single day of testingFormula 3's first proper test at Madrid's new street circuit descended into chaos this week, with nineteen re...
26 Aug 2026 13:58
Dutch Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Dutch Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
Test calendar
Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
-
Jan 26
I. Hadjar
- 1:18.159
-
-
-
Jan 27
M. Verstappen
- 1:19.578
-
-
-
Jan 28
A. Antonelli
- 1:17.362
-
-
-
Jan 29
G. Russell
- 1:16.445
-
-
-
Jan 30
L. Hamilton
- 1:16.348
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 11
L. Norris
- 1:34.669
-
-
-
Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
-
-
-
Feb 13
A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 18
G. Russell
- 1:33.459
-
-
Feb 19
A. Antonelli
- 1:32.803
-
-
Feb 20
C. Leclerc
- 1:31.992
-
-
World Championship standings 2026
Pos
Driver
Team
Points
Pos
Team
Points
Related news
Give your opinion!
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Team profile
- Team name Pirelli
- Base Milan, Italy
- 37,476 comments on Pirelli
3 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Pirelli
Replies (0)
Login to reply