Formula One’s governing body has been confronted with the threat of legal action by seven teams. They issued a joint statement on Wednesday demanding clarification of a confidential agreement the FIA agreed with Ferrari after an investigation into the legality of the team’s engine from last season.

Mercedes, Red Bull, McLaren, Racing Point, Renault, AlphaTauri and Williams joined forces to demand answers. The only teams who did not join the protest were Alfa Romeo and Haas, both of whom use Ferrari engines.

The schism, which will overshadow the first race of the season in Melbourne on 15 March, comes as F1 is also struggling to deal with the consequences of the coronavirus. The Chinese Grand Prix has already been postponed and Australia, Bahrain and Vietnam remain under threat. Moreover the fallout has occurred as F1 seeks an agreement with the teams for a commercial deal for 2021 onwards.

Last year there was concern over the legality of Ferrari’s engine amid suspicion they were able to circumvent fuel flow regulations. The FIA conducted an analysis of the engine and last Friday issued a statement regarding its research, concluding only that it had: “reached a settlement with the team” but that the “specifics of the agreement will remain between the parties”.

That no further information was supplied, nor a definitive conclusion of the legality or otherwise of the engine, left the majority of teams indignant and exasperated. Their statement read: “We, the undersigned teams, were surprised and shocked by the FIA’s statement of 28 February regarding the conclusion of its investigation into the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One power unit.

“An international sporting regulator has the responsibility to act with the highest standards of governance, integrity and transparency. After months of investigations that were undertaken by the FIA only following queries raised by other teams, we strongly object to the FIA reaching a confidential settlement agreement with Ferrari to conclude this matter.

“Therefore, we hereby state publicly our shared commitment to pursue full and proper disclosure in this matter to ensure that our sport treats all competitors fairly and equally. We do so on behalf of the fans, the participants and the stakeholders of Formula One. In addition we reserve our rights to seek legal redress.”

Ferrari finished second in the constructors’ championship last season. Prize money is allocated according to position and without clarification of whether there had been breach of regulations it is not clear whether their standing should remain, which is of financial import to everyone involved.

Clearly there is also concern over why the findings were not published and why a private settlement was agreed. The president of the FIA, Jean Todt, has been explicit in the past that the organisation should be more open in its processes. When he first stood for president in 2009 his manifesto stated the FIA should be “ready to adapt its management and decision-making structures to make them more cost-effective, responsive and transparent”.

The Ferrari engine was the quickest on the grid last season, giving the car an advantage in straightline speed. After queries but not official complaints were made as to its legality, the FIA closed what they believed was a loophole in the regulations before the US GP. In subsequent meetings the Ferrari did not appear to enjoy the same advantage.

Ferrari do not intend to respond to the statement as yet. The FIA and F1 management have also not made a comment.