Nico Rosberg and his Mercedes team have been called to see the stewards after his team reportedly breached team radio rules, which were introduced at the beginning of the season.
Rosberg's second place is under threat after he encountered gearbox trouble during the closing laps of the British Grand Prix, with his engineer coming over the radio to inform him to "chassis default 0-1" and "shift through" seventh gear.
Although Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes what was said was within the rules, the stewards have asked to see Rosberg for an "alleged breach of Article 27.1 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations, that a driver must drive the car alone and unaided".
"We have to wait what the FIA says," Wolff said after the race. "We know what is and isn't legal. The gearbox was about to fail, so we should be OK."
However Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, who's team reported the matter to the stewards, had a different opinion.
"The rules are pretty clear," he said. "Would he [Rosberg] have finished [without that information?]. We'll see what the stewards say."
It comes just weeks after team-mate Lewis Hamilton hit trouble in Baku with his car due to an incorrect setting, with his race engineer refusing to give any information which could help him because it would be a breach of the new rules.
What was said?
Rosberg: “Gearbox problem.”
Engineer: “Driver default 1-0-1, chassis default 0-1, chassis default 0-1.”
Engineer: “Avoid seventh gear, Nico, avoid seventh gear.”
Rosberg: “What does that mean, I have to shift through it?”
Engineer: “Affirm Nico, you need to shift through it. Affirm, you need to shift through it.”
