Mercedes ’active suspension’ trick revealed

The FIA and rival teams want to stop a rule loophole that explains some of the superiority of Mercedes’ 2016 car.

That is the claim of Germany’s specialist Auto Motor und Sport, claiming the silver-clad team not only has the best engine in F1 but also the best chassis.

The report said the Mercedes has an hydraulic roll and height control system - similar to the earlier ’Fric’ concept that was banned - that cleverly uses the ’step’ in the top of the chassis to mimic active suspension.

For aesthetic reasons, this ’step’ was allowed to be covered by a so-called ’vanity panel’ after 2012, but it also gave Mercedes a place to house the system outside of the carbon tube.

Correspondent Michael Schmidt said: "The other teams now recognise the trick and put it on the agenda for the technical meeting on the Tuesday after Monza."

He added that the FIA would like to ban it shortly, but that would require the agreement of all the teams - including Mercedes - to change the 2017 regulations.