Bernie Ecclestone: “If Mercedes had supplied their PU to Red Bull, we wouldn't be talking about Formula boredom now”

According to Bernie Ecclestone, Red Bull could have given Mercedes a hard time if the Star had equipped the Milton Keynes single-seaters with its own power unit. A hypothesis that could have materialized at the end of last season, during which the Anglo-Austrian team was looking for a new motorsport partner (only to then return to an agreement with Renault). But in Brackley, as in Maranello, they preferred not to reinforce their rivals on one of the (few) weak points present on the cars designed by Adrian Newey.

After the first two races of 2016, Mercedes holds the lead in the constructors' championship with a 50-point advantage over Ferrari. For the Circus boss, the recent domination of the Silver Arrows would be the cause of F1's decline in popularity. A situation that would not have occurred if Red Bull had reached an agreement with Mercedes: “Actually - Ecclestone told ESPN – it's funny to think that there would have been a team that could have actually fought with Mercedes. His name is Red Bull".

For Ecclestone, Ferrari's five golden years with Michael Schumacher (2000-2004) and the Red Bull epic with Sebastian Vettel (2010-2013) have never been as boring as the cycle that Mercedes opened in 2014: “When Schumacher won races and championships and Red Bull too, they never seemed too dominant. I believe that the problem currently concerns Mercedes' excessive competitiveness. Monopolizing the front row in qualifying and getting a one-two in the race is not always positive for the spectacular nature of this sport".

Piero Ladisa

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