Both Ferrari and Red Bull considered launching a protest against the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton at the German Grand Prix.
The two teams believe that Hamilton’s change of brake discs should have warranted a pitlane start, but the FIA deemed the change necessary on safety grounds and therefore allowed the Briton to start from the 20th position on the grid.
Christian Horner of Red Bull admitted his team considered a protest and believes it has set “an interesting precedent” for the future.
“It is a change of car specification,” he said. “If you change it like for like that is one thing, but if you change it for something that is made by a different manufacturer [Brembo to Carbon Industrie in Hamilton’s case] that has a different characteristic, as described by the driver himself as something different, then it is an interesting precedent.
“Obviously if you can do that, then what else can you change? It will be interesting to see what the justification of that allowance was.”
Ferrari also toyed with the idea of a protest according to team boss Marco Mattiacci.
“We discussed it internally…we decided not to move forward with it.”
Hamilton started last but one on the grid after taking a gearbox penalty as Marcus Ericsson was forced by the FIA to start from the pitlane. The Briton eventually finished third.
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