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(Motorsport-Total.com) – Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff surprisingly stated on the sidelines of the Portuguese Grand Prix (Formula 1 2020 live on ticker!) That he would oppose Red Bull’s demand for a further engine development starting in 2022. would freeze completely, not crosswise.
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Toto Wolff doesn’t put any obstacles in Red Bull’s way when it comes to engine trouble Focus
On Saturday, the Austrian was asked if he would be willing to accept an “engine freeze”, as recently requested by Helmut Marko and Christian Horner. Surprising answer: “Yes.”
After the departure of Honda with only three engine manufacturers (Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault), Formula 1 remains “in good condition. But if we can keep four, […] then we should do everything possible to make Red Bull possible. “
The fact that Mercedes is so clearly willing to compromise on this issue without simultaneously making related demands may seem surprising in light of the overwhelmed history between Mercedes and Red Bull.
Wolff: “Understand where Red Bull is coming from”
On the other hand, the Mercedes engine is currently the best power unit in the industry. Seen like this, it is understandable that the freeze on the stand at the end of 2021 no longer bothers Mercedes.
“I totally understand where Red Bull is coming from. They don’t want customer status anymore, they want to be a working team,” says Wolff. “And I understand that Red Bull does not want to be involved in a costly arms race with the other manufacturers. It is a sensible suggestion that I support.”
Red Bull had previously threatened to withdraw the two teams from Formula 1 if engine development didn’t freeze by 2022. Because the energy drink maker’s “Plan A” plans to buy Honda’s existing engine technology and then use the engines independently as a Red Bull unit.
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But that only works if Red Bull can just produce and maintain the engines. That could be done at Honda’s current Milton Keynes location with a reasonable investment of funds. However, further technological development would mean a great contribution of resources. An effort that Red Bull cannot or will not allow.
“Red Bull is an extremely important brand for Formula 1,” emphasizes Wolff, “and we must do everything we can to keep the two teams in Formula 1 and help them achieve factory status with both teams, so to speak.” . “
The issue will be discussed on Monday after the race in Portimao at a manufacturers’ motors summit with the heads of the world automobile association FIA and rights holder Liberty Media. Marko and Horner held preliminary scouting talks with the other manufacturers at the Nürburgring.
Wolff is not afraid that Red Bull could push Formula 1 forward by threatening to walk away: “In Formula 1,” he puts in perspective, “everyone tries to negotiate the best deal for them. I can live with that. I don’t care.” . whether to take a customer engine or continue the Honda program or do it myself. Any decision is fine with me. “
Why Mercedes does not deliver engines
He’s ruled out only one thing: Mercedes won’t supply Red Bull with engines. Talks about it took place in 2015, at the time between Niki Lauda and Dietrich Mateschitz, but they failed. The story about a handshake as a misunderstanding with consequences made headlines.
Photo gallery: Formula 1 technology: detailed photos at the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix in Portimao
In early 2016, Wolff then stated that he would not rule out supplying Red Bull with engines in the future: “Red Bull is a great brand and from a marketing point of view there are definitely points of contact between the two parent companies that could lead to good projects, “he said. him at the time in an interview.
Wolff explains why this is no longer a problem: “At the time the idea was that Mercedes and Red Bull could work together on marketing. We were interested in the platform that Red Bull could have offered because it is a super cool brand and very innovative are in what they do. “
“I told Christian at the time that we would at least consider working together if we could bring the two brands together and form an alliance. But that never came to a conclusion.” Especially since such would have presumably impaled itself on the existing partnership between Mercedes and Monster Energy.
Today, according to Wolff, Mercedes’ rejection of Red Bull is simply because these power units are so complex. We are not in a position to expand at will. So at Daimler it’s logistical and disconnected. From a cost perspective, it is not possible to supply Red Bull with a power unit. “
Furthermore, he explains, it is not attractive for a brand as a pure engine manufacturer from a marketing perspective to supply equipment. “That’s why we bought a team. It is not a priority for us to deliver engines. We prefer to use them in our own cars and make a little money from classic customer teams,” says Wolff.
