Paris: The FIA Tribunal in Paris will decide the fate of Mercedes after the Formula One team was accused of breaking strict testing rules and face the threat of heavy fines, points deduction or expulsion from this year's championship.
Mercedes provided their drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, with Perelli tyres to test them at a Barcelona circuit after the Spanish Grand Prix and ahead of Monaco.
Article 22.1 of F1's Sporting Regulations states: "Track testing shall be considered any track running time not part of an event undertaken by a competitor entered in the championship, using cars which conform substantially with the current Formula One technical regulations in addition to those from the previous or subsequent year."
However, Mercedes and Pirelli are of the view that they committed no wrong as their commercial agreement with the governing body permits 1000km of testing with any of the teams.
Mercedes boss Ross Brawn will be featuring as the lead witness with the Brackley-based outfit to explain and put forward the facts in a transparent way. The 12-man tribunal will hear the case on Thursday and the verdict is likely to be delayed for Friday.
"They ran a current car, with current drivers, on a current circuit, during the season and on the face of it, that is expressly forbidden by the Sporting Regulations," Sky Sports News reported from Paris as the tribunal convened.
"However, there may be a couple of caveats here as we understand there may have been some sort of communication between Mercedes and the FIA. Certainly, Mercedes feel they wouldn't have undertaken this test unless they had some sort of permission."
The speculation is rife that Mercedes defence will rest on the exchange of mails between Brawn and FIA race director Charlie Whiting. On the other hand, Pirelli are miffed at receiving summons to attend the hearing.
In all probability, Pirelli will quit the sport if any kind of punishment is given to them as they are yet to sign a deal as F1's tyre supplier.
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