Mercedes reportedly slammed Formula One rivals Red Bull at an appeals court hearing over the disqualification of Daniel Ricciardo and said that the team flouted rules and must be put on notice to stop them from becoming a repeat offender.
Red Bull, in its appeal, reportedly argued back that the race officials should not have stripped Ricciardo of his second-place finish, and the 18 points that go with it, for breaching Formula One's new rules regarding fuel usage.
According to News.com.au, the case has presented the first major challenge to this Formula One season's new rules, including the swapping of 2.4-litre, V8 engines with 1.6-litre, V6 turbo hybrid engines.
Red Bull were reportedly accused of consistently crossing the 100 kilograms fuel per race mark, as Ricciardo's RB10 used up more fuel than the specified limit in the season-opening race on March 16 in Melbourne.
Red Bull lawyer Ali Malek said Ricciardo's sensor was obviously 'unreliable' and argued that his disqualification is reportedly based on a 'flawed and incorrect' interpretation of Formula One rules.
However, Mercedes lawyer Paul Harris argued back that their rivals were knowingly in 'flagrant breach' of the new Formula One rules and urged the court to impose an increased but suspended penalty to dissuade the team from any further violations and to keep competition fair, the report added.