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BARCELONA, SPAIN – FEBRUARY 27: McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl looks on from the pitwall during Day Two of F1 Winter Testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 27, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Dan Istitene – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
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BARCELONA, SPAIN – FEBRUARY 27: McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl looks on from the pitwall during Day Two of F1 Winter Testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 27, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Dan Istitene – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
There was a lot of talk and controversy around the Mercedes engine in the second half of the 2021 season. The German team got super-fast in the straights through the last part of the season. Red Bull claimed that the Mercedes team and Lewis Hamilton had an advantage going into the closing races because of their spicy engine. But according to McLaren team principal, Andreas Seidl, there was not any difference in the performance in Mercedes engines.
McLaren is an engine customer of Mercedes. Seidl mentioned that they found nothing spicy in the data while changing engines mid-season. The Woking-based outfit also had a new engine in Turkey but did not find the same performance gain as Mercedes.
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I don’t see that there was ever an extraordinary spicy engine: Andreas Seidl
As reported by FormulaRapida.net, the McLaren team boss mentioned that the spicy engine claim is maybe for Toto Wolff and not him. But he stated that there is a difference in performance when a team installs a new engine.
“When I look into the data, and we compare the data from other teams, I don’t see that there was ever an extraordinary spicy engine around,” said Seidl.
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Formula One F1 – Monaco Grand Prix – Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco – May 20, 2021, McLaren Managing Director Andreas Seidl in the FIA Press Conference FIA/Handout via REUTERS
“I guess that’s a question for Toto. What does that wording actually mean? In the end, we were happy with what we got supplied the entire year from Mercedes. It is clear that it’s the same for every power unit manufacturer.
Whenever you install a new engine compared to one that is high mileage, there is a difference in terms of power because of the natural degradation engines are having. That can cost some tenths. I see the same throughout the grid. But I don’t see anything spectacular or particular there on teams or power unit manufacturers.” said Andreas.
The ‘spicy engine’ helped the German team gain an advantage and win the constructors’ championship. But it is unclear how two teams who are using the same engine will have different results in the engine performance. Maybe after more rigorous tests are done, we will have an answer.
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