Breaking news
Formula 1
Mercedes ready to listen over standard engine plan
Mercedes says it would find it hard to justify dropping engine costs to customer teams to stave of the threat of an independent engine in Formula 1, but is open to talk to the FIA about it.
Jonathan Noble
Edited: Nov 5, 2015, 1:59 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The FIA announced earlier this month that amid concerns about the high cost of engines to customer teams, it was to make a push to find a cheap independent supplier.
Mercedes is against the idea because it thinks having two engines competing against each other in F1 would be difficult to implement
However, Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff says he understands why the FIA is pursuing the idea and wants engine costs cut.
"I think that it is perfectly legitimate for the FIA to try to convince the power unit manufacturers to reduce the price, because the better the price the more easy it is for the smaller teams to make the numbers," he said.
"I can understand their position, but on the other side as engine manufacturers, we have complied to these new regulations, we have developed these engines, and they are based on a business case.
"Part of the business case is the income side. So if that changes now, it changes our figures – and this is why it is different interests. But, for the benefit of F1 in general, we need to have that conversation."
No charity
FIA president Jean Todt has said that plans for an independent supplier in F1 would be dropped if manufacturers accepted dropping their supply prices to $12 million per season.
However, Wolff says that such a move is not realistic, because manufacturers cannot provide unrealistic subsidies.
"We already lose money on the engine side, substantial," he said. "The question is how much more do we lose if we continue to subsidise those engines to some of our partners."
He added: "Our partners expect to have the most competitive engine, and in order to have the most competitive engine, because it is a competitive environment, we spent very substantial amounts in developing those engines.
"Nobody has ever asked us how we plan to recover those [costs], or if someone can contribute to help us recover.
"You can argue whether the marketing benefit of the development spend is right or wrong. But, as a matter of fact, we live in a world where we are facing a commercial reality.
"And that commercial reality is that we need to be as efficient as possible and try to recover the best possible amount.
"I think you cannot expect of anybody, of any stakeholders, to have a charitable approach. But although optimising your own situation, you can find a compromise for the sport."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Ladder to F1 has “fundamental problem”, says Coulthard
Next article Analysis: F1 structure means tight vote on standard engine
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jonathan Noble
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
Formula 1
Formula 1
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Formula 1
Formula 1
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
Formula 1
Formula 1
Australian GP
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
More from
Lewis Hamilton
"We failed so we had to react" - Fred Vasseur on Ferrari driver talks and Mexico F1 fallout
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
1 h
"We failed so we had to react" - Fred Vasseur on Ferrari driver talks and Mexico F1 fallout
Nico Rosberg compares Ferrari’s clashes to his own Mercedes F1 rivalry: “The instructions are not clear enough”
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
6 h
Nico Rosberg compares Ferrari’s clashes to his own Mercedes F1 rivalry: “The instructions are not clear enough”
More from
Mercedes
Why Toto Wolff sees Ferrari clash as "déjà vu" – and why escalation may be necessary
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
15 min
Why Toto Wolff sees Ferrari clash as "déjà vu" – and why escalation may be necessary
"Exhausted" George Russell set for Brazilian F1 grid penalty
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
5 h
"Exhausted" George Russell set for Brazilian F1 grid penalty
Latest news
Why Toto Wolff sees Ferrari clash as "déjà vu" – and why escalation may be necessary
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
15 min
Why Toto Wolff sees Ferrari clash as "déjà vu" – and why escalation may be necessary
F1 Brazilian GP: Kimi Antonelli fastest in tricky FP2
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
24 min
F1 Brazilian GP: Kimi Antonelli fastest in tricky FP2
Building new Fontana short track "will be a real challenge," says Steve O'Donnell
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
25 min
Building new Fontana short track "will be a real challenge," says Steve O'Donnell
Pecco Bagnaia 'feels like a factory rider again' as he finds form in Qatar
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
34 min
Pecco Bagnaia 'feels like a factory rider again' as he finds form in Qatar
Feature
Discover prime content
How F1’s rules got to be so complex
Formula 1
By Pat Symonds
How F1’s rules got to be so complex
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1960s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1960s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe