FIA President Jean Todt has branded Mercedes and Ferrari as “too reliable” after only a combined total of three mechanical retirements across the 2017 Formula 1 season.
In an era of highly complex engines and limited parts, mostly due to the Frenchman’s vision, the two manufacturers led the way while Renault and Honda continued to struggle in comparison.
And, while acknowledging their achievement, Todt suggested that pointed to a negative aspect of modern F1 which is the amount of resources put in to achieve near bulletproof reliability.
“Hamilton did not make any mistakes but he also had an incredibly strong car,” he told Auto Bild. “Even if the Mercedes was not always the fastest, Lewis scored points in 20 of the 20 Grands Prix, the cars are too reliable.
“Ferrari impressed me as well,” the former Team Principal at Maranello added. “I stay with what I said: Ferrari and Mercedes were too reliable and that costs money. Tests, simulators, it’s all too much. We don’t need all of that for a good sport. Actually, the contrary.”
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Nevertheless, Todt is also now considering whether the engine used in F1 could be reliable enough to use in alternative series and, in particular, the WEC which is currently facing a slump in manufacturer popularity after Audi and Porsche both left the leading LMP1 class.
“We have completely different engines so would it be sensible to anticipate a vision for the endurance championship using the same engine? Which, incidentally, is covering the same kind of mileage,” he pondered.
“It would make some sense and, clearly, it would probably encourage some manufacturers to get involved by participating in other categories. We think Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, even Red Bull — why would they not think of eventually participating in sportscars? It is something which needs to be addressed.”
