[F1Guy]

HOLY THREAD MINE BATMAN!

Thought this thread would be a better place to post this.


It is no big secret that the FiA and FOM have in the past, and still do, like to see Ferrari up front and/or winning frequently. There has been some comments made recently by BE regarding the Ferrari favouritism during his time, and even more recently. Some snippets from the article below.

Bernie Ecclestone: "Helping Ferrari has always been the smartest thing to do.

“And it always has always been done through the technical regulations.

“Teams are important for F1, but Ferrari is the most. That's why over the years, many things have been done that have helped Maranello win."

"Max has often helped Ferrari. And I too. We all wanted the Ferrari to win.

“A season won by Ferrari is more valuable than a season won by others. But look, teams have an interest in challenging a competitive Ferrari. It is one thing to win against Sauber, but another to win against a red car from Maranello.”

Earlier this year, I posted about how Mercedes helped Ferrari with their PU development. Which, as usual, was an opportunity for a jab.

Originally Posted by F1Guy

Just as there was no 'official statements' when Mercedes helped Renault and Ferrari with their PU's. But for most, if an 'official statement' has not been released, then it didn't happen. Not everything that happens in the F1 paddock is put on paper. Most things still work on a hand shake. A 'contract' or an 'agreement', means diddly squat in F1. They can be made and broken with a simple nod of the head, or a handshake. No signed papers required.

Some comments regarding the issue of Mercedes helping Ferrari were also made recently. Bernie said a few things, without saying too much.

Bernie Ecclestone: "In this case, no one can know except the one who did ... Certainly at one point a hand with the engine was there.”

“Mercedes – and for good reason. A world championship won against Sauber is one thing. One won against Ferrari is another.”

“And if Mercedes had decided to translate technology to Maranello, I say it was a good move.

“It is also certain that with the friendly situation between the two teams, the best thing for Stuttgart in 2017 was to make sure that a) that Red Bull did not have the most powerful engines and b) Ferrari was competitive enough to be a credible rival to beat.”

Red Bull's Christian Horner: “It’s very clear that there’s a very tight relationship between Ferrari and Mercedes, the way they operate in meetings, one won’t lift the hand up without the other one being in agreement these days. So there is that dynamic.

“It’s not the first time that’s happened in Formula 1, it won’t be the last time. As far as whether or not one has helped the other, that’s not our business. I’ve got no idea. I’d be surprised but yeah… what you see with Mercedes and Ferrari today, they’re very aligned in all of their thinking.”

Certainly not "proof" that FiA/FOM prefer to see Ferrari winning. And nothing "concrete" on Mercedes helping Ferrari. But it's interesting nonetheless.

I doubt if there will ever be full disclosure on the deals made behind F1's closed garage doors. So if anyone is waiting for a "official statement" regarding these issues, you might be waiting for quite a while.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/e...-rival-971625/