Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff is sure none of the German manufacturer’s customer teams were behind the recently issued directive by the FIA to ensure engine parity.
Formula 1’s governing body stated last week that all suppliers must now ensure all engine hardware and software, such as power modes, must be made available in all units that are supplied to customer teams.
The focus was put on Mercedes when Red Bull team boss Christian Horner suggested to “ask (Williams deputy team boss) Claire Williams” when asked where the request for clarification had come from, but that led to the rebuke from Wolff.
“I don’t think any of our customers were pushing for it,” the Austrian told Autosport.
“It’s not relevant for us because the rules have been in place for a while that you must supply the customers with the same hardware and software from a power unit standpoint and we’ve always done that.”
Also Read:
- FIA targets engine modes in push to ensure customer equality
- Hamilton: New Mercedes like the “big sister” of predecessor
Mercedes and Ferrari are known to delay giving engine upgrades to their customers whether it be for a lack of parts or contractual reasons, but Wolff insists it would make no sense for the team to develop two different specifications
“If there is any suspicion out there, it certainly wasn’t anything that would have any consequence for us,” he claimed.
“We have the belief that sharing modes and engine calibration among six cars triggers a steeper learning curve for us rather than running different engine specifications between the customers and the works team.”
