Todt reveals to being gagged by Ferrari over engine furore

Ferrari

Todt reveals to being gagged by Ferrari over engine furore

The FIA president understands the frustrations that led to seven teams protesting the non-disclosure decision

Sam Hall

Thursday 9 April 2020 11:30 Updated: 12:32

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Jean Todt has remarkably conceded to being blocked by Ferrari from revealing the details of the FIA's power unit investigation.

World motorsport's governing body caused an uproar when it announced it had punished Ferrari following the conclusion of a review into the legality of the team's 2019 system, but kept the details private.

FIA president Todt has now stated to being effectively gagged by Ferrari from saying anything.

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“If you ask me, I would love to be able to give all the details of the situation, but they [Ferrari] were opposed,” Todt told Motorsport.com.

“So, I mean, they have been sanctioned but we cannot give the detail of the sanction."

Despite Ferrari blocking the FIA from revealing the findings of its investigation and the resulting sanction, Todt believes it was right for his organisation to at least say something rather sitting in silence.

“And clearly we could have said nothing," continued Todt. "But we felt that it would have been wrong not to say that the Ferrari case had been discussed and that there had been [a] sanction.

“Honestly, it’s very simple. Very simple. We have put so much effort to come to our conclusions, which they [the teams] do not agree.

“Unfortunately, it is very much a fait accompli of technical matters, because our technicians say ‘we cannot for sure demonstrate as much as we should that they [Ferrari] were not legal’.”

While seven teams - Red Bull, Renault, McLaren, Williams, Racing Point, AlphaTauri and Mercedes - all voiced their concerns to Todt and the FIA, even going so far as to suggest taking legal action - the latter has since distanced itself from the subject.

Todt insists nothing more can now be revealed regarding the matter.

“I received a letter in answer to my letter, where they confirmed they understand the position of the FIA," said Todt.

"But it didn’t mean they were happy of the position of the FIA, and they would love Ferrari to allow the visibility of the case, which I would love too. But we can’t.”