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Marko confirms withdrawal from Mercedes: "Very suddenly"
Rumours were already rife that Mercedes would withdraw from the protest against Ferrari and its power unit last season, but Helmut Marko confirms that the battle will now continue with a total of six teams. At Red Bull Racing, they are amazed at the decision of the current world champion.
"Mercedes has suddenly withdrawn," says a disappointed Marko in conversation with Auto, Motor und Sport. At the Austrian formation they assume that it was not Toto Wolff himself who pulled the plug, but that the decision came from above; from the headquarters in Stuttgart.
This is said to have both political and financial reasons. Formula 1 and Mercedes would suffer image damage if Ferrari were found guilty and punished for this, but that would also mean that the Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas team would have to pay more registration fees to the FIA.
Horner wants to give Red Bull employees a bonus
The fact that an ally in the fight against the FIA and Ferrari now falls away does not mean that Red Bull throws the towel. The battle continues unabated if it is up to Christian Horner. "This has a very strange aftertaste," said the British team boss at the German medium. "It takes a lot of money for us. It makes a difference of twenty million dollars if we finish second or third in the world championship. All our employees will receive an extra bonus payment. We cannot leave it like this," he concludes. off.