Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsRegulations

Mercedes and Ferrari at odds with Red Bull's Christian Horner

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Both Mercedes and Ferrari disagree with Red Bull boss Christian Horner over the latter's claims that consensus over cost-effective engine regulations is still far off.

As the future of the sport was devised at the end of last year, the FIA requested from all four F1 engine manufacturers - Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Honda - a comprehensive proposal addressing a reduction in cost to engine customers starting in 2018.

In January, the manufacturers agreed to bring down engine supply costs to approximately 12 million euros per power unit, and guarantee all teams be supplied in exchange for keeping the current hybrid V6 turbo power unit until at least 2020.

An April 30 deadline has been put in place by the FIA for the plan to be formally agreed, but Red Bull's Horner confessed in China last weekend that he doubts an agreement will be reached.

"As we sit here now, we are not anywhere near having met any of those criteria and I think unfortunately what will happen, as is often the case with these things, time will run out at the end of the month and nothing will be achieved and nothing will change,” Horner said.

Both Mercedes and Ferrari have countered Horner's claims however.

"We have gone miles in terms of engine supply," said Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne to SkySports F1.

“We have found a way in which the four engine manufacturers can continue to supply the sport on a way that may not be the most economically advantageous, but it does provide continuity for the other teams and I think that’s important. So hopefully that will get through.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff followed suit, believing that Horner's comments were " a bit of a one dimension".

"We’ve offered much cheaper engines and actually met the targets we set ourselves," Wolff told Sky F1.

"We have structured an obligation to supply — which we don’t like particularly, but we have offered it to not run into a Red Bull situation again — and all that is on paper.

"But then it comes down to the detail of the contract and obviously not everybody is happy. He [Horner] isn’t happy, but it’s about finding a compromise."

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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.