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Merc advantage set to end?

LONDON, England - If the latest developments in Formula 1 are any indication, Mercedes' dominance might not last too long in the sport. In 2013, we reported that the secret under the skin of the silver cars is its Fric (Front to rear interlinked suspension).

Emulating active suspension, the system is widespread amongst teams but F1's race director, Charlie Whiting, has sent a letter to teams warning that Fric's legality "could be called into question".

An immediate ban is reportedly on the cards....and that's not all.

POWER LOSS FOR MERC?

Spanish sports newspaper Marca reports that the FIA is also considering clamping down on the rate and flow of hybrid power from the 2014 power units.

A source was quoted as saying that while the actual combustion engines produced by Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault in 2014 are remarkably close in performance, the big advantage enjoyed by Mercedes is its "hybrid" areas.

The source said Mercedes' advantage could be as much as "82kW to 96kW on the straights".

Finally, Mercedes could be set to lose a first-lap advantage over its rivals, after Williams' Felipe Massa complained about the behaviour of the silver cars on the formation lap at Silverstone.

Massa said: "I had to stop twice, pulling in the clutch. They're doing it (driving slowly) for some reason.  We always complain, and Charlie said he was going to fix it, but no one has been penalised yet."

Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 F1 season – fresh reports every day.
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