F1's Imbalance Of Power
Autosport|February 15,2018

The top two teams have far too much clout, too often exerted for self interest instead of the long-term health of the sport as a whole.

F1's Imbalance Of Power

MAX VERSTAPPEN SUGGESTED LAST WEEK THAT IF Red Bull had the Mercedes engine, its rivals “would never see us again”, and maybe he’s right. In the opinion of most, Adrian Newey remains unsurpassed, so yes, Max and Daniel Ricciardo might well be in the pound seats for 2018 – if they had Mercedes power.

They don’t, though. When the team’s relationship with Renault was at its lowest, a couple of years ago, attempts were indeed made to do a deal with Mercedes – and Ferrari – but, unlike Renault, these two companies are famously reluctant to sell engines to any team that might threaten them.

When Zak Brown was casting about for an engine to replace Honda at McLaren, unsurprisingly, given their mutual history, there was never a conversation with Ferrari, but there was much discussion with Mercedes, and Brown told me it got far down the line. What, then, ultimately killed it?

“Well – this’ll surprise you – politics! Some at Mercedes wanted us to have the engine, and some didn’t; then fuel​​​​​ became an issue – and also you needed permission to supply more than three teams from the FIA, who were insistent on keeping Honda in Formula 1: it became very political.

“Like I say, there were different opinions at Mercedes about supplying McLaren, but in fairness to them they were prepared to help Honda develop their engine, so I must give Toto [Wolff] credit for that.”

Denne historien er fra February 15,2018-utgaven av Autosport.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra February 15,2018-utgaven av Autosport.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA AUTOSPORTSe alt
Autosport

The Shock Of The New

If the spectacle of Lewis Hamilton carving his way to the world title seems familiar, much is changing off-track in the new Liberty era.

time-read
4 mins  |
October 26,2017
Vettel Proves Ferrari Is Back
Autosport

Vettel Proves Ferrari Is Back

FORMULA 1'S NEW ERA IS ALL ABOUT BIGGER CARS, WIDER TYRES, MORE downforce, and greater performance than ever before. But this category remains one defined by small margins, and ultimately it was minor details that meant Ferrari rather than Mercedes went home victorious from the first grand prix of 2017.

time-read
9 mins  |
March 30,2017
Nigel Roebuck
Autosport

Nigel Roebuck

A genuine threat to mercedes.

time-read
4 mins  |
March 30,2017
Autosport

Dan Gurney 1931-2018 

Dan Gurney 1931-2018

time-read
10+ mins  |
January 18,2018
Autosport

How Kubica's F1 Racing Dream Was Put On Hold

How Kubica’s F1 Racing Dream Was Put On Hold

time-read
4 mins  |
January 18,2018
Autosport

Halo It's Here

Like it or loathe it, the halo safety structure is a fixture for Formula 1 in 2018. Here’s how it’s set to affect the cars.

time-read
5 mins  |
January 18,2018
Autosport

Rosenqvist's 10-Step Guide To Beating Buemi

The Swede turned the tables on Formula E’s top dog, beating the reigning champion and taking the lead in the title chase.

time-read
7 mins  |
January 18,2018
Autosport

Ferrari's Finest

A selection of the Italian marque's racing machinery provided a compelling centrepiece to Autosport International 2018.

time-read
4 mins  |
January 18,2018
Autosport

Richards' Latest Task

The Prodrive boss andnewMSA chairman assessed the challenges and opportunities facing British motorsport in 2018.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 18,2018
Newey F1's Aero Artist On Its New Aero Era
Autosport

Newey F1's Aero Artist On Its New Aero Era

The Red Bull design guru can see some interesting elements in the new rulebook.

time-read
7 mins  |
March 02,2017