Engine dominance devalues winning - Newey

Adrian Newey says the current engine dominance is unhealthy for F1 and will devalue Mercedes' victories as a result.

Mercedes has won 32 of the 38 races since the new engine regulations were introduced at the start of the 2014 season, with Red Bull and Ferrari winning three apiece. Newey has previously stated his belief that the level of emphasis on the power units is unhealthy and he says it is not as beneficial to be winning in an uncompetitive sport.

“It is important to find the right balance between the chassis, engine and the driver for the sport to be competitive, but right now the engine is dominating, which is unhealthy,” Newey told The Hindu while in Chennai with his son Harrison, who is taking part in the final round of the MRF Challenge.

“Cosworth came with a winning engine in 1967 that was exclusively for use by the Lotus team. It became very clear that the engine was going to be dominant.

“Then, Lotus agreed to waive its exclusivity to allow others to use it for the good of the sport. Unfortunately, that sort of attitude doesn’t seem to exist any more. If the sport is not healthy, what’s the point in winning?”

And Newey - who defended Red Bull's four consecutive titles by pointing out two were secured at the final race - is expecting another tough year for his team.

“Our hope for 2016 is to just maintain that gap but with Ferrari and Mercedes expected to step up, towards the end of the year we might be further behind than we were last year.”

Scene at the Pirelli wet tyre test