Why Mercedes and Ferrari are holding F1 back
Too much power, and not just from their engines - Mercedes and Ferrari risk putting Formula 1 on the ropes for no good reason
Max Verstappen suggested last week that if Red Bull had the Mercedes engine, its rivals "would never see us again", and maybe he's right. In the opinion of most, Adrian Newey remains unsurpassed, so yes, Max and Daniel Ricciardo might well be in the pound seats for 2018 - if they had Mercedes power.
They don't, though. When the team's relationship with Renault was at its lowest, a couple of years ago, attempts were indeed made to do a deal with Mercedes - and Ferrari - but, unlike Renault, these two companies are famously reluctant to sell engines to any team that might threaten them.
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