Mercedes are no longer among the group of seven Formula 1 teams protesting the FIA’s confidential settlement with Ferrari, after the parent companies of both teams reached an agreement to protect their collaborations in the road-car business.
The agreement, which Racefans is reporting was reached between Daimler chairman Ola Kallenius and Fiat-Chrysler chairman John Elkann in order to further their cooperation on autonomous car development, has seen Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff remove his team’s name from those opposed to the FIA’s controversial handling of Ferrari’s alleged fuel-flow breaches in the 2019 season.
In so doing, Mercedes and Wolff have been made to perform a remarkable backflip, considering Wolff initially led the calls for the FIA to provide further clarification on its decision not to investigate further.
Unsurprisingly, the other six teams are upset with the Silver Arrows’ reversal, but intend to push ahead with their protest due to concerns that the FIA’s inability to enforce its fuel-flow regulations is indicative of a governing body that would have a similarly hard time policing the cost-cap set to be implemented from the 2021 F1 season.