Marko says Aston Martin engine rumor 'makes no sense'

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Helmut Marko has rubbished suggestions that Mercedes is supplying its best power units to customer Aston Martin, a rumor that "makes no sense" said the Red Bull motorsport chief.

Aston Martin has emerged as a genuine top-three contender in F1 this season thanks to the remarkable performance of it AMR23 which outpaced all but Red Bull's car in Bahrain where Fernando Alonso finished third behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

The Silverstone-based outfit's impressive form coupled with Mercedes' troubles and its admission that wins will be hard to come by in the first half of the season have given birth to comments claiming that the German manufacturer is now purposefully favouring its customer Aston Martin.

Read also: Alonso not expecting to challenge Perez for victory

But Marko insists the claims are simply senseless.

"Why should Mercedes make a competitor stronger?" the Austrian told F1 Insider. "That makes no sense.

"Despite working together, Aston Martin is ultimately a competitor to Mercedes in terms of passenger cars.

"Mercedes will now do everything it can to forget the disappointing season opener for them as soon as possible. With this ambitious task, there is certainly no room to help Aston Martin."

As a reminder, Formula 1's technical regulations require that power unit manufacturers supply the same specification of hardware to all customers, a compelling point that wasn't lost on AlphaTauri team boss Franz Tost.

"The rumours are nonsense," added Tost. "The regulations clearly dictate to engine manufacturers that all customers must get the same material.

"And as far as I know, everyone sticks to that very meticulously. So a preference for a team is forbidden and unrealistic."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.