Ferrari retains power of veto despite FIA removing need for unanimity over sporting code. Ferrari will still be able to veto any moves.

Scuderia Ferrari’s veto remains intact, despite the fact that the FIA has been moving to make it easier to implement crucial rule changes amid the corona crisis:

“In view of the unparalleled COVID-19 crisis, the FIA continues to make changes to its regulatory processes to mitigate the impact wherever possible and safeguard the sport for the future,” said the sport’s governing body in aa brief statement last week.

“Therefore, in addition to previously announced changes to specific championship sporting and technical regulations, the World Motor Sport Council has now approved the introduction of a safeguard clause in the International Sporting Code. The safeguard clause will overcome the current requirement to obtain the unanimous agreement of all competitors to amend regulations within an individual FIA championship, cup, etc., allowing the FIA, under certain exceptional circumstances, to modify regulations with a shorter notice period and with the agreement of the majority of the competitors properly entered for the FIA championship, cup, etc. concerned.”

The FIA therefore announced that because the crisis is “unparalleled”, a new measure will “overcome” the current requirement of total unanimity among the teams before rule changes are made.

Now, only a majority will be needed – but Italian newspaper ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport’confirms that Scuderia Ferrari will still be able to veto any moves: “In reality it does not affect the possibility for Ferrari to use the veto at World Council level in the event that, by majority vote, a budget cap contrary to the Scuderia’s interests is for example decided”- said correspondent Andrea Cremonesi.

It comes after Ferrari backtracked amid reports informing the Italian side’s Team Principal Mattia Binotto threatened that the Maranello team could pull out of the sport if the budget cap figure falls below $145 million.

“I would hate to see Ferrari leave the sport,” McLaren supremo Zak Brown is quoted by El Mundo – “However, I think the sport could survive with 18 cars, even if I would really prefer that they stay.” – he said.