Mercedes Banned from Young Driver Test as Punishment for Pirelli Test

The FIA International Tribunal has reprimanded MercedesMercedes-BenzGermany, 1924 > present197 models
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and Pirelli for their in-season tire test between the Spanish Grand Prix and Monaco Grand Prix. Mercedes has also been banned from taking part in the 2013 young driver test. 

The tribunal reached its verdict after a seven-hour hearing in Paris on Thursday, June 20, and announced the verdict on Friday, June 21. 

The young driver test is a three-day test from July 17-19 where the teams have control over the cars and testing, but they must use young drivers. 

"It is a car test over which teams have full control and teams know everything about the tires and cars. If we are in this territory then it is open to the International Tribunal to impose exclusions from events that are under FIA jurisdiction, and the young driver test is that," said Mercedes' lawyer Paul Harris.

Mercedes says that it accepts the tribunal's decision and does not plan to appeal it. It beleves that it received a fair hearing.

There are many questions that still need to be answered following the tribunal's verdict. The biggest one being how does Pirelli test its tires to improve them during the season, if it may not allow use a current car in testing? 

Source: Autosport