Mercedes will not react to title rival Ferrari's engine allocation strategy. In Bahrain, the resurgent Ferrari team fitted the second of four allocated 'power units' for the season to Sebastian Vettel's car.
Asked if Mercedes will now follow suit and give its contenders a fresh turbo V6 for Spain, team chairman Niki Lauda answered: "No. We are only at the fourth race," he told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport. "What may seem a disadvantage now will become an opportunity when it really counts, in the second part of the season," said Lauda.
Mercedes figures have admitted the level of Ferrari's resurgence in 2015 was a surprise. But Germany's Sport Bild claims the German carmaker may actually have helped Ferrari to catch up, fearing that continued dominance would be a turnoff. The magazine said Mercedes, for instance, recommended that Ferrari sign up its hybrid specialist Wolf Zimmermann, resulting in dozens of added horse power for the fabled Italian team.
Lauda continued: "I am not at all surprised by the improvement of Ferrari, because they started to work on it last season, they rely on the quality of work by (James) Allison, and because of the restructuring of the team." As for the erosion of Mercedes' dominance, the F1 legend added: "The anomaly was last season, not this season. I never had the illusion that we would continue to dominate like that." (GMM)
Mercedes may have helped Ferrari to catch up
- Published on 23 Apr 2015 08:27
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
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Spain
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Bahrain
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Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
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Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
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Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
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Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
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Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Driver profile
- Team Aston Martin
- Points 1,480
- Podiums 56
- Grand Prix 161
- Country Germany
- Date of b. Jul 3 1987 (39)
- Place of b. Heppenheim, Germany
- Weight 62 kg
- Length 1.75 m
- 281,401 comments on Aston Martin
57 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Sebastian Vettel
Team profile
- Team name Ferrari
- Base Maranello, Italy
- Kimi Räikkönen 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Felipe Massa 2
- Fernando Alonso 3
- Felipe Massa 3
- Michael Schumacher 3
- Felipe Massa 4
- Kimi Räikkönen 4
- Sebastian Vettel 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Felipe Massa 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Felipe Massa 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 7
- Felipe Massa 7
- Fernando Alonso 8
- Fernando Alonso 14
- Charles Leclerc 16
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Lewis Hamilton 44
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- 511,382 comments on Ferrari
- 284 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about Ferrari
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