(GMM) Mercedes-Benz is downplaying Kimi Raikkonen's title damaging back to back engine failures at Magny Cours and Silverstone.
On both occasions, the fitting of a fresh V10 - despite the desperate need to finish ahead of Fernando Alonso and with a car advantage - fouled the Finnish McLaren driver's charge.
But Mario Illien, boss of the Ilmor company that builds Mercedes' F1 engines in England, said Raikkonen's Magny Cours blow up was the first for the silver marque in a year.
''This shall not be an excuse,'' he told Autosport. ''We do not look very good having two failures within a week.''
Meanwhile, at Silverstone last Friday, Kimi ground to a halt with an oil pump drive failure.
Illien said the last time an engine stopped for a similar reason was 'five or six years ago' -- in the rear of Mika Hakkinen's car.
Worse still, under the old rules, fixing the pump would not have required a new engine.
Getting to the damaged part, though, would have meant breaking an FIA 'parc-ferme' seal and still incurring a penalty.
Written: Wed, 13 Jul 2005 09:35:06
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