Ferrari chief issues FIA complaint with Abu Dhabi 2021 claim

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Ferrari chief issues FIA complaint with Abu Dhabi 2021 claim

John Elkann is pleading for more 'clarity' from the FIA

Cal Gaunt

Friday 24 November 2023 16:57

Ferrari chairman John Elkann is urging the FIA to address contentious issues in F1 more effectively, citing the recent Carlos Sainz incident at the Las Vegas Grand Prix as a prime example.

The controversy arose from Sainz receiving a heavily debated grid penalty following an accident in free practice, where a loose manhole cover damaged his car.

Elkann, typically reserved in the media, expressed his dissatisfaction, echoing similar sentiments from Sainz and Fred Vasseur.

He views this incident as one of several instances where the FIA has faltered in recent years.

Carlos Sainz hit a manhole cover during FP1 in Las Vegas

Carlos Sainz was given a 10-place grid penalty after the incident

Ferrari president John Elkann was unhappy with how the Las Vegas Grand Prix played out

The importance of clarity

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For example, he also points out Red Bull's exceeding of the budget cap and the last race of 2021 in Abu Dhabi.

"It is important to provide clarity in the rules," he told the BBC.

"You don't want things to happen and end like 2021. You don't want situations like Las Vegas, where you get a ten-place penalty through no fault of your own.

"If you look at it from a regulatory standpoint, including what we've seen with budget caps, it's important to get a lot more clarity in those types of areas."