Protest hangs over Rosberg's Monaco Grand Prix win

A shadow is hanging over Nico Rosberg's Monaco grand prix win, after Red Bull and Ferrari launched a pre-race protest.

Mercedes' rivals allege the German squad conducted an illegal three-day test with Pirelli at Barcelona, just after the recent Spanish grand prix.

"What annoys me is that it was so underhand," a furious Red Bull's Christian Horner blasted.

The FIA summoned all of the parties to hearings in the Monaco stewards room in the immediate aftermath of the grand prix.

It appears Pirelli's right to conduct a mid-season test, and the strict in-season testing ban, have collided in a cauldron of typical formula one politics.

Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn insists he checked with the FIA prior to the test, "and they were happy".

Horner, however, insists: "They have run a current car with current drivers and current tyres. That's a clear breach of the sporting regulations."

A Ferrari spokesman agreed that while Pirelli is allowed to test, it has to be with a two-year old car.

"The fundamental aspect is the year of the car," he said, "because if you use a current car it should be allegedly a breach".

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Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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