Mercedes lobbying for relaxation of test ban - MotorSportsTalk

Mercedes has approached the FIA to ask for a relaxation of the ban from participating in the Young Drivers’ Test which was handed down by the International Tribunal last month.

The team were banned from participating in next week’s test at Silverstone for illegally conducting a three-day test with Pirelli using their current car ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.

After the ban was announced the FIA changed the rules governing the Young Drivers’ Test in response to the spate of punctures seen during the British Grand Prix. Race drivers are now being allowed to attend to test the new tires which Pirelli will introduce at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Now Autosport reports Mercedes is urging the FIA to let it attend at least part of the test so it can also evaluate the new tires.

Toto Wolff said it was important Mercedes should get a chance to test the new tires on safety grounds: “When it is about safety it would be good if all teams are clear whether they work on their cars.”

“But it is up to the FIA to decide. Safety is the priority for the FIA and I am sure they would safeguard that it is the same for everybody.”

Mercedes proposed the test ban as a suitable punishment during the tribunal hearing. Several of their rivals subsequently complained the penalty was too lenient.

An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”