Niki Lauda has played down the effect the removal of the complex ‘FRIC’ system will have on F1’s dominant team. The triple world champion is also the F1 chairman at Mercedes, who along with Red Bull are considered the teams most affected by the FIA’s questioning of the legality of systems that mimic active suspension.
The governing body has not actually banned the ‘front and rear inter-connected’ systems, but the door to disgruntled rival teams lodging protests is now open. It is believed Mercedes and Red Bull, among others, will remove ‘FRIC’ from their respective cars as of Hockenheim next weekend.