Oct.9 (GMM) Norbert Haug has played down reports that Mercedes-Benz could play a spoiling role in Red Bull's efforts to beat Brawn to the 2009 world championships.
The German engine maker supplies not only championship leaders Brawn GP with 2.4 litre V8 power plants, but also the increasingly-competitive works team McLaren."Is there a Mercedes pact against (Sebastian) Vettel?" wonders the tabloid newspaper Bild.Mercedes' competition chief Haug replied: "Absolutely not. Everyone drives their own races, just as before."However, Red Bull has confirmed that Mark Webber will now fall in line to support his teammate Vettel in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, while Jenson Button cannot similarly rely on his teammate and title rival Rubens Barrichello's help.Red Bull boss Christian Horner told Bild: "We hope that everything that happens is done correctly."It should be noted that, at present, there is no love lost between Mercedes stablemates McLaren and Brawn, as the latter looks set to take over from McLaren as the German marque's preferred team.Moreover, Red Bull looks likely to switch from Renault to Mercedes power for the 2010 season.
