Debate between teams about clever hydraulic suspension devices run by Mercedes and Red Bull has been ongoing since Ferrari wrote to the FIA at the end of last year to query their legality.

Following the latest talks earlier this month, F1 race director Charlie Whiting is expected to issue a technical directive before next week's first pre-season test explaining how much suspension systems can influence aerodynamics.

With the suspension developments being a key area of potential performance gains, and Ferrari still not happy with the situation, Green now thinks that a resolution may only come with an official protest in Melbourne.

When asked at the launch of his team's 2017 F1 car about if he felt the matter could go that far, he said: "Yep. I definitely can see it happening."

Green clarified, however, that Force India would not be a part of any action among teams to get a ruling on the matter.

"We will stand back and see how it develops and then react to it like we normally do," he said.

Waiting game

Green said Force India has been evaluating its own advanced hydraulic system, but said its introduction would depend on what the FIA's final ruling on the matter was – and whether the characteristics of Pirelli's 2017 rubber required it.

"We have been testing various concepts for a while now," he said. "Each has got some merits.

"For us we really want to see how the tyres perform, what the balance of the tyres is, and where the weakness of the tyres is so we can then attack that with a mechanical solution – or try to help it with a mechanical solution.

"For us we cannot have all the options on the table ready and waiting, depending on what Pirelli's tyre performs like. So we have to wait.

"We are going to wait until we run the car, wait until we understand what the tyres are doing and then we will attack it with something.

"And hopefully in that time, the FIA will give everybody some guidance about what is and isn't allowed, because that is what we need at the moment. There is too big a grey area."

When asked if he felt it would be unfair if the Mercedes and Red Bull systems are outlawed at this stage, Green said: "Will it be unfair? The rules are the rules."

Grey areas

Green believes that F1 chiefs had lost a good opportunity to prevent the suspension matter reaching this point by not clarifying matters long ago, and potentially outlawing the trick systems when they were being developed for the first time.

"I think I would have liked some more clarity on the suspension side for sure," he explained. "I think that really had muddied the waters and it is unnecessary. It is under the skin. I don't think it is great for the show.

"The fans don't know any difference and it can be incredibly complicated the systems that are being run – and expensive.

"For us they are marginal gains for quite substantial expense. I would have liked to have seen all of that nipped in the bud a bit earlier, and not been allowed to develop to where it has got to now."