Since Honda’s engine supplier Red Bull announced its withdrawal from Formula 1, the Milton-Keynes-based team has decided to set up its own engine division called Red Bull Powertrains.
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Red Bull attracted several engineers from other teams to the grid to work on their completely new engine division, most of whom belong to their arch-rival Mercedes. The long list of outgoing Silver Arrows engineers includes Andy Cowell, who left the Brackley team earlier this year.
Cowell was the head of the Mercedes engine department and helped the German team to seven consecutive constructors’ championships. And with his departure, the Silver Arrows had to contend with their engine reliability problems this season.
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The Brackley team has received engine-related penalties on the last race weekends. However, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff denied that the latest problems with the reliability of the units were due to the departure of Andy Cowell.
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What did Toto Wolff say?
When asked whether the recent and several changes in internal combustion engines were due to the departure of Andy Cowell, Toto Wolff replied, as quoted by Formula Passion: “One of the strengths of this group is the professionalism of the employees.
Formula 1 F1 – Russian Grand Prix – Sochi Autodrom, Sochi, Russia – September 24, 2021. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff during the FIA / Handout press conference on REUTERS.
“Andy was certainly an extraordinary person who contributed a lot to our success, but that also applies to his successor, Hywel Thomas. I have 100 percent confidence in our current structure and do not believe that the difficulties that arose are solely due to the fact that someone has left the company, ”concluded Toto Wolff. (Quotes translated via google)
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Embarrassment Ordinance: Wolff
After Mercedes has dominated the premier class of racing since the introduction of the hybrid era, this year they are fighting more than ever with their engines. The reigning champion, Lewis Hamilton, is on his fourth internal combustion engine this year. Valtteri Bottas, on the other hand, has already decided on his sixth ICE.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff considers the allocation of ten starting places for the decision for the fourth combustion engine and then only five starting places for the next ICE for an “anti-embarrassment rule”.
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP, Valtteri Bottas of Finland and Mercedes GP and Mercedes GP Executive Director Toto Wolff speak on stage at the F1 Live event during previews ahead of the Australian F1 Grand Prix at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Charles Coates / Getty Images)
“I think it’s probably like the old Honda where you find yourself in a situation and it goes terribly wrong and you have to replace engine parts or entire assemblies, then you shouldn’t penalize every single race to get to the bottom of the grid or losing 10 places, ”said Toto Wolff.
“So it’s almost an anti-embarrassment rule and I think that’s fine,” added the Austrian.
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Can Mercedes finish this season without further engine penalties? What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.
The post Toto Wolff rejects Andy Cowell’s widely speculated Mercedes F1 theory first appeared on monter-une-startup.
