Dieter Zetsche, the boss of Mercedes’ parent company Daimler, has claimed the German manufacturer and Ferrari share the same view regarding the future of Formula 1, as battle lines are drawn with owners Liberty Media.
While not being quite so public with their threat as the Italian brand, motorsport boss Toto Wolff has previously stated the winner’s of the last four championships would be prepared to follow the Scuderia in leaving the sport if they didn’t agree with the vision it was taken in.
Concerns that new engine rules are too limiting and leading to standardisation, as well as efforts to address F1’s financial inequality, lay at the heart of the current tensions and, as Zetsche admits, though Mercedes and Ferrari might be rivals on the track, off it the situation is very different.
“We are 100 percent aligned on our thoughts in F1 and our strategic actions in F1,” he told Autocar at the Detroit motor show. “We are good friends.
“We are there to stay in F1 but of course the platform itself has to stay meaningful and develop positively.”
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Despite all of Mercedes’ recent success, the Daimler chief also wants to see greater competition in F1, believing their domination in winning is harming the sport.
“I have said many times the best outcome would be winning the championship by one point in the last race,” he claimed
“To be clear, we want to be successful and we want the platform to be successful and when one is dominant that doesn’t help.
“We need stronger competitors and rule changes which give new cars to everybody and to some extent, this last season was that change.”