Red Bull chiefs have called on the FIA to consider ways of limiting Mercedes’ use of the so-called “party mode” on their engine after Lewis Hamilton’s commanding performance during the Australian GP weekend.
After a very close battle throughout Saturday’s qualifying session, the world champion would turn up the wick on his final lap, improving by almost nine-tenths to claim pole by two-thirds of a second from Kimi Raikkonen.
Despite denials, most believe that sudden massive improvement was predominantly due to the special mode which offers a boost in power but only for short bursts and with it at their disposal, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko believes the German manufacturer is unbeatable.
“Mercedes is playing with everyone,” said the Austrian. “They can decide with their power modes how far ahead they are but this time they apparently got it wrong and are too far ahead.”
Most also believe Hamilton was measuring his pace to the Ferraris during the Grand Prix itself on Sunday, only for a software glitch to allow Sebastian Vettel to get ahead under the Virtual Safety Car and go on to win.
Marko sees a broader problem their engine advantage though and has called on the FIA to act.
“With that engine, no one can beat Mercedes,” he claimed. “They’re in a different world.
“We have a very good car and that’s why we’re close but with these engine regulations, it will be the same until 2021.
“Even Ferrari is waking up now,” the Red Bull advisor added. “They begin to realise that they will never catch Mercedes with these engines.
“We need engine parity, which was always promised. But these engines are much further apart than three percent apart. So the FIA has to act now.”
Team boss at the Anglo-Austrian team, Christian Horner has come up with his own solution to the problem.
“Like you have parc ferme when the cars leave for qualifying, maybe engine modes should be the same from the moment you leave the garage to the end of the Grand Prix,” the Briton proposed.
