Given that Aston Martin has managed to design a more competitive car than Mercedes using their wind tunnel facilities, has the team been getting preferential treatment with power units too? The rumours were circulating after the Bahrain Grand Prix that Aston Martin had better engines than Mercedes, to ensure that there was still a competitive 'Mercedes team' on the podium. However, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has rubbished these rumours given the competition between the two car brands on the road. "Why should Mercedes make a competitor stronger?" he says to 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."
F1 power unit suppliers limited by regulations
Regulations in Formula 1 also limit power unit suppliers to providing each of their customers with the same specification, which means works outfits cannot have engines with more performance than their customers. This was pointed out by AlphaTauri Team Principal Franz Tost, who believes any preference for a team is "forbidden." "The rumours are nonsense. The regulations clearly dictate to engine manufacturers that all customers must get the same material," he said. "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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