Mercedes offer verdict on Ferrari design queries

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has insisted Ferrari's queries around the mirror mounts on the W13 is "business as usual" and "absolutely fair enough".

Ferrari counterpart Mattia Binotto had questioned how far the design ventured away from the primary function of the wing mirrors, with the Mercedes component mounted upon front side-impact structures that protrude from its radical sidepod construction.

Red Bull's Christian Horner also waded in by suggesting F1 must avoid a mirror war at all costs, with the topic discussed during a Technical Advisory Committee recently.

But reacting to the scepticism, Wolff said: "I think absolutely fair enough that a team questions stuff that is on another car so that is business as usual.

"We try to be as diligent as we can be, especially in an age of new regulations. You want the FIA strongly involved with every step you take.

"That is what we have done not to take any risks."

Agreeing with Wolff, Alfa Romeo team principal Fred Vasseur explained questions over car legalities are a weekly occurrence in the sport.

"It is business as usual as Toto said before," he said. "Each week, you have a request to the FIA coming from a team on a technical point just to get clarification.

"Now, it is up to the FIA to take a decision. For me, it is business as usual except this time, the request came to the journalists."

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