Mar.14 (GMM) Mercedes worked "very heavily" on its V8 engine despite the rule-protected development freeze.

That is the opinion of Adrian Newey, amid reports his F1 employer Red Bull has asked the FIA to let its engine supplier Renault catch up with the sport's best engine.

"Mercedes developed very heavily through what was meant to be a frozen engine, whereas some of the others, Renault in particular, were very honest and said it's a frozen engine, it's cost cutting, we won't develop further," the designer of the RB6 car is quoted as saying by the Observer.

Newey added that it would be "perfect" if Renault is able to "bring the engine up to scratch".

But Red Bull cannot be overly critical of Mercedes' development efforts, because the Milton Keynes-based team wanted to switch to the German supplier for 2010.

"We also looked at the Cosworth engine very carefully. In the end, Brawn and McLaren blocked us from having the Mercedes engine, but we became very satisfied with staying with Renault in any case," added Newey.

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