Ferrari are reportedly one of two teams - the other being McLaren - expecting factory visits from FIA delegates - after Red Bull prepared an ‘official and accusatory file’ about the teams’ rear wings. The FIA clamped down on rear-wing flexibility last season after onboard footage from Oscar Piastri’s MCL38 machine at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix showed the component flexing under load on the straights.

This was dubbed the ‘mini-DRS’ effect and was a common technical talking point for the teams. This was outlawed from the Singapore Grand Prix onwards last year, but Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache was left furious after pre-season testing. “It’s still happening,” he told The Race. “I believe Ferrari and McLaren are persisting with the mini-DRS tactics.”

Now, the FIA will take action after Red Bull filed an ‘official and accusatory file’ against two of their biggest title rivals. According to a report from Italian publication FUnoAnalisiTechnica, delegates of the sport’s governing body will visit the factories in Woking and Maranello before the start of the season next weekend.

This will mean nervous waits for Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. The two Brits are targeting the Drivers’ Championship title this season after successful pre-season tests, although they face competition from Ferrari and Red Bull.

According to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, it is Norris and McLaren who have the best chance of securing the World Championships this season. The reigning champions are widely viewed as the favourites after a strong showing in Bahrain.

“In my opinion, it will be a three-way or four-way battle between McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari and us,” he told German news outlet Sport.de. “Although, if you look at the test results, McLaren already has a head start. That was the case in both the short and long runs. The current favourite is clearly McLaren."

Asked to discuss the size of the gap between McLaren and Red Bull, he continued: “It’s hard to say exactly what that looks like, because the weather conditions were completely out of the norm. It was cold, there was strong wind. It was even raining.

“It was only the case on Wednesday, when we were on a par with McLaren. But on Friday, the last day, I would say that we were still two to three tenths behind in the long run. What’s more, McLaren’s tyre wear was also significantly better than our data indicated.”