F1 News: Mercedes boss DEFENDS Red Bull in war of words

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Mercedes boss DEFENDS Red Bull in F1 war of words

Zak Brown has also spoken out about the issue in recent times

Cal Gaunt

Sunday 21 January 2024 20:57

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In the midst of the ongoing debate over the strengthening ties between Red Bull and AlphaTauri, Mercedes remain resolute in their decision to steer clear of forming alliances with other F1 teams.

AlphaTauri's extensive overhaul, featuring a new team principal and increased reliance on Red Bull for components, has sparked concerns about fairness in the sport.

While voices like McLaren's Zak Brown call for the elimination of such partnerships, Mercedes technical director James Allison expressed his confidence in the existing regulations.

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Allison believes the rules effectively prohibit the exchange of crucial technical knowledge between teams, assuring Mercedes that there are no legal gains to be had from such collaborations.

James Allison has defended Red Bull over their ties with AlphaTauri

Allison: Rules are clear

“I’m not entirely sure what the nature of the relationships between those two teams is, but I am clear on what the rules are," he told Motorsport.com.

“And it is that other than the very limited part of the car where you are permitted to supply parts, and therefore a certain amount of technical data alongside those parts, in every other respect the rules are very tight about not passing on anything that could be regarded as intellectual property from one team to another.

“The way that rule is written is very broad and very powerful, and it pretty much makes any communication not permitted. If two teams have a strong relationship with each other, it can only really be a strong commercial relationship.

Nikolas Tombazis is confident no rules have been breached between Red Bull and AlphaTauri

“It cannot be a strong technical or a strong sporting relationship because the rules forbid that.

“In the past it was more open, and the relationship that Mercedes enjoyed with the team that is now Aston Martin, at the time that was a relationship that permitted much greater freedom than it does today.

"In response to that relationship, the rules were tightened up substantially to mean that you cannot really have a technical or a sporting relationship.

“If it turns out that there is one, that is something that would cause unhappiness. So, there is not much mileage to seek a close relationship with another team from a technical point of view because it is not allowed.”

F1 Red Bull Mercedes Zak Brown AlphaTauri James Allison