The FIA have cleared Ferrari after rival teams complained about its energy recovery system (ERS), which they suspected was falling foul of the technical rules.
Mercedes and Renault requested the governing body investigate Ferrari's battery system with claims it might include a secondary system able to deliver a performance boost above the regulated output.
The FIA reacted to the claims and in Monaco installed a device to test for any irregularities, and whilst F1 race director Charlie Whiting admitted to discovering things they couldn't explain, they found nothing illegal.
"We had some concerns in Baku [from rival teams] that were difficult to explain and we worked through it with them [Ferrari].
![Isack Hadjar [pictured] has deferred to Max Verstappen for Day 2 of the F1 pre-season test. Image: Red Bull Content Pool](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Isack-Hadjar-Red-Bull-test-2026-120x86.webp)
“Some things in the data we could not quite explain… we went through it with Ferrari and they gave explanations which were not particularly convincing,” he added.
“[The rules] say that it is the duty of the competitor to satisfy the FIA that their car complies at all times and they were having difficulty satisfying us [in Baku]. Here [in Monaco], we are now satisfied."
Whiting hit out at rivals that used the media to spread rumours: "The matter was exacerbated by unsubstantiated speculation that went through the paddock like wildfire."
![Isack Hadjar [pictured] has deferred to Max Verstappen for Day 2 of the F1 pre-season test. Image: Red Bull Content Pool](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Isack-Hadjar-Red-Bull-test-2026-350x250.webp)
Discussion about this post