Norbert Haug has played down the apparent superiority of Mercedes-Benz's Formula One engine.
Between the Brawn and McLaren teams, the Brixworth-built V8 units - also fitted to the Force India VJM02 - have won eight of the 12 grand prix so far in 2010, and speculation indicates both Red Bull and Williams are also keen to use the engines next year.
But Haug, the German manufacturer's motor racing director, told Auto Motor und Sport that it is simplistic to say therefore that Mercedes' is clearly F1's best engine.
"It is a fairytale if anyone says we have 30 horse power, or three tenths more, in our engine,? said Haug. "Of course we wouldn't mind if that was true, but actually there are not such big differences.? Amid the current freeze in engine development, the FIA keeps a close eye on differences in performance, having for example allowed Renault to try and catch up with its rivals at the end of last season.
Haug confirmed the FIA's interest in this area and said the governing body uses tools including "sound analysis" to gauge precisely the ongoing state of affairs.
The German also played down the rumblings about fuel consumption, after Giancarlo Fisichella and Kimi Raikkonen suggested after their Belgian Grand Prix battle that the Mercedes uses less fuel per lap than its rival engines.
Haug suggests there are different reasons for Raikkonen's Ferrari using apparently much more fuel than Fisichella's Mercedes at Spa.
"At the start Raikkonen was using his tyres more aggressively than Fisichella. That costs you a lot of fuel," he said.
"Additionally you don't know how much fuel was still in his tank (at the pitstop). Maybe the Force India was empty and the Ferrari had some left. You also don't know if all the cars are exactly on the (minimum 605kg) weight limit."
