F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Wolff and Ecclestone still at odds over engine supply

Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff have admitted that they still argue over the question of whether Mercedes should have supplied power units to its chief rivals Red Bull.

Last year Red Bull threatened to leave Formula One when it briefly fell out with current engine suppliers Renault, but was unable to find a replacement. Ecclestone pressed Mercedes to step in and make its power units available to Red Bull, but Wolff had quickly ruled out any such arrangement.

"Bernie always wanted to have competition between the teams. That was his main objective. Our main objective was to have the best possible team," Wolff told the official Formula One website this week.

"If I had been in Bernie’s shoes I would have wanted the most sensational fight for the titles. I always accepted that, but I could not follow that path.

"Running a team means you very much have to look out for yourself, for your team. Running Formula One you naturally want to have the most competitive and entertaining platform - which can translate into very different objectives."

"In the end we understood each other: if we find the right agreement between Red Bull and Mercedes - and that was not only limited to F1 - then there could probably be a chance. So we tried to pull something together - but alas, it never happened."

Ecclestone said that it was a topic they still continually discussed to this day, with the pair talking on the phone about this and other matters most days during the season.

"For me still the topic of Mercedes not supplying Red Bull with an engine - we never did, and probably never will agree on that," said Ecclestone.

"Yes, I understand the reasons - I would have reacted just like them in their shoes," he conceded.

"If I were to run Mercedes I would not have given them an engine. I simply wouldn’t have given the strongest competition something that would enable them to beat me. "Toto was in a very difficult position back then, because maybe - in his heart - he would not have minded, but he had to look at what’s the best for his team - and him personally.

"That is team perspective. In my position [overseeing F1 as a whole] I saw it differently.

DRIVER RATINGS - 2016 Italian Grand Prix

RACE REPORT: Rosberg wins at Monza to cut Hamilton gap to two points

COMMENT: McLaren's 2017 driver line-up: A stroke of genius?

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

Williams' Boutsen hoists the mainsail in Adelaide

On this day in 1989, Williams' Thierry Boutsen secured his second F1 win when he…

1 hour ago

Horner: Max 'answered critics' with epic Sao Paulo GP drive

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner hailed Max Verstappen’s sensational Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory…

2 hours ago

Sainz left puzzled by double crash drama in rainy São Paulo

Carlos Sainz was left scratching his head after a disastrous Sunday at the Sao Paulo…

3 hours ago

Alonso pushed through agonizing pain to complete Sao Paulo GP

Fernando Alonso braved both physical agony and mechanical challenges in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix,…

4 hours ago

Alpine double-podium in Brazil could deliver $30 million windfall

Alpine’s remarkable double podium at the São Paulo Grand Prix with Esteban Ocon and Pierre…

19 hours ago

F1i's Driver Ratings for the 2024 São Paulo GP

Alexander Albon, Williams (Did Not Start): 5.5/10 Alex Albon is definitely going through something of…

20 hours ago