Daimler chairman, Dieter Zetsche, backs Ferrari stance. Mercedes chairman admits that he fully understands and supports Ferrari's stance.

Preparations for 2021 very much in progress as Liberty Media, the FIA, the teams and race promoters hold various meetings, including today’s Strategy Group get together, and discuss plans for the next decade. Though Liberty Media’s financial plans for the sport’s future have yet to be announced, its proposals for the new engine formula haven’t gone down well.

While Honda opts to maintain a dignified – or it that embarrassed – silence, Mercedes and Renault have admitted their unease while Ferrari, in typically Latin style, is already talking of a breakaway.

Daimler chairman, Dieter Zetsche, the man who signs the cheques for Mercedes F1 programme admits that while not following Ferrari’s example of throwing his toys out of the pram, admits that he fully understands and supports the Italian manufacturer’s stance. Mercedes boss Dieter Zetsche has described himself and Ferrari’s Sergio Marchionne as “the good cop and bad cop”, referring to Marchionne’s well-known grumbles on Formula 1: “We are the good cop and the bad cop.” – he said, as reported by weekly British automobile magazine Autocar on Thursday, though omitting to explain which cop he identifies Mercedes as being. “We beat each other like crazy on the track and try to get every tenth of a second of advantage but at the same time we are 100% aligned on our thoughts in Formula One and our strategic actions in Formula One. We are good friends.”

Echoing Ferrari’s fear for the future of the sport as the powers that be seek to standardise more components and essentially compromise its DNA, be it in terms of spending or the technical regulations, Zetsche adds: “We are there to stay in Formula 1 but of course the platform itself has to stay meaningful and develop positively. We want to be successful and we want the platform to be successful and when one is dominant that doesn’t help. We need stronger competitors and rule changes which give new cars to everybody and to some extent, this last season was that change.” – he added.

Mercedes chairman Dieter Zetsche also flagged ways in which he thinks Formula One should improve in the near future, especially regarding fan engagement: “I think it is a pretty good show but there is potential. I think on the digital side point of side much more can be leveraged. There should be opportunities to engage fans, for example, you could sit in your living rom and try out for a team on your screen, and try to beat the other teams virtually.”