Ferrari says its fuel level was checked at least 10 times through the 2019 campaign, prior to its infringement at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The FIA determined pre-race at the Yas Marina Circuit that its fuel measurement in Charles Leclerc’s SF90 did not tally with the declaration made by Ferrari.
An investigation was launched and afterwards a discrepancy of 4.88kg was recorded.
Ferrari was issued with a €50,000 fine for the transgression but Leclerc was permitted to keep the third place he achieved in the race.
It came after Ferrari’s power unit has come under increased scrutiny from rivals, with a technical directive issued ahead of the US Grand Prix, amid accusations – strenuously denied – that the operation was interfering with fuel-flow monitoring.
“You have a quantity of fuel to be consumed in the race – 110kg – which you have got direct measurements through the fuel flow meter or through the injectors, or eventually through the weighing of the car,” explained team boss Mattia Binotto on the process.
“You weigh it at the start of the race and you weigh it at the end, you do the delta and you will know how much you have consumed.
“To do that, you declare a certain quantity of fuel at the start of the race, that you are filling in the car.
“The FIA may sometimes check what has been declared by simply weighing the car and somehow try to verify if you have concurrence.
“It’s a procedure which is not the first time we are doing it. This year we have been checked at least 10 times. It’s not the first time.”
Ferrari finished a distant runner-up to Mercedes in the 2019 standings.
