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Mercedes has reportedly now joined Ferrari in being prepared to supply engines to Red Bull in 2016. With the energy drink owned team and its current partner Renault appearing close to divorce, Ferrari's Sergio Marchionne recently offered to sell customer Maranello-made 'power units' to Red Bull from next year.
But it is believed the Ferrari deal would have kept its new customer one specification behind the works team, which intensified Red Bull's alternative enquiries with Mercedes. Mercedes, in contrast, insists it always supplies identical equipment with full equality to its customers, and may have a vacancy in its roster open up for 2016 if Lotus is bought by Renault.
Toto Wolff Hints Mercedes No Longer Needs Verstappen
Martin Brundle Questions Mercedes Engine Parity for McLaren
"Actually, one should not help to make one's opponents stronger," Mercedes chief Toto Wolff told Germany's Sport Bild. "But we also need to find a balance between pure egoism and the welfare of the championship," he added.
"Of course we know it's important to have a healthy and exciting platform, as victories are always more valuable if they are against strong competition," said Wolff. "As a team we are first and foremost geared to seek our advantages and win the championship," he continued, "but as participants, we also have a responsibility to the series as a whole." (GMM)
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Replies (6)
Login to replydenis1304
Posts: 284
would like to see if they be ready to make 16 PU and let Mercedes, Williams, FI and RB pick 4 @ random
scf1fan
Posts: 58
What would be really great would be if RB would stop whining! and partner up with someone like Cosworth and then develop a new PU. Between RB and TR, that gives them 4 cars worth of engines to supply from the start which should keep the cost from being too astronomical. I'm sure they could talk Bernie into allowing them an extra engine or two and a few more tokens as was allowed for Honda.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
No need for special arrangements there, the FOM has already set up rules that new engine constructors are allowed to use 1 more engine for each driver they supply during their debut season without penalty.
scf1fan
Posts: 58
@calle.itw I don't know what the rules for scavenging parts off a "blown up" engine are, but with the complexity of the current PUs, I don't think the 1 extra engine is enough. MB, F & R were all testing their engines the year before they had to race them; where they could probably do anything they wanted! As Honda is finding out, developing and racing an engine simultaneously, under rather strict limitations, is a lot harder.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
For all I know, they are allowed to reuse any functional parts and repair any of the dysfunctional ones. 1 more PU is perhaps not enough, Honda has as you said taken penalties ( they've been compensated for those though), but its better than nothing.
Honda had about the same time as the other constructors with the engine development, but unfortunately they began their planning of the engine slightly too late, and many steps were delayed. The engine was finished so late, McLaren apparently had problems building the car around it. But I think many restrictions are a bit too strict.
scf1fan
Posts: 58
@calle.itw What my point is though - during the first season of the new PUs - MB, F and R were all on "equal" timelines of development, more or less. Honda, at best, (in part due to some of the issues you cited) was just trying to get their initial PU together when MB, F and R were testing under race conditions. So Honda, when they actually started racing, was pretty much starting from a standing start (pun intended) when everyone else was already on a flying lap! That's why I think that any engine new comer either needs to do a lot of development before announcing (pricy) or they need a few more incentives to help them getting started. (Along with someone very wealthy (<cough> RB <cough>) to foot the bill. :-)