Renault shares Todt's fears over McLaren ECU advantage

According to Ferrari's Chief Executive, Jean Todt, McLaren will have a big advantage during the upcoming season because they built the ECU system that will be used by all the other Formula One teams as well under the 2008 regulations.

Jean Todt said: "We would have preferred that the single control unit for all F1 teams was built by another company but we must accept that McLaren, with Microsoft, put forward the most economic proposal.

"We will have to monitor the situation but it is obvious that McLaren will have an advantage, at least at the start."

Jean Todt's fears that McLaren will have an advantage due to the use of the ECU are shared by Renault's Engine Technical Director, Rob White. "McLaren will enjoy an easier transition to this very different new system. Everything is different for us. The control system is different, all of the tools are different, the environment in which the engineers work is different. It has taken a huge amount of time and effort simply to understand the things that are different.

"The kit is the same for everybody and the potential is the same for everybody. But those people that start further away have a longer road to travel to get to their optimum," said White.