F1: Lauda denies speculated Mercedes alliance with Ferrari
"Mercedes even helped Ferrari a bit technically, which is why Ferrari has caught up and they're happy. It means they're both rowing in the same boat," Ecclestone said.
But Lauda, Mercedes' team chairman, denies the claim.
"Let's clear one thing," the F1 legend told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Ferrari are a rival to Mercedes, and one that we must always defeat.
"We aren't talking about an alliance," Lauda insisted. "In terms of politics and on major issues there are similar interests that Honda and Renault also agree on."
As for the rivalry between Mercedes and Ferrari, it is known in the paddock that former Lewis Hamilton engineer Jock Clear is not the only defection from Mercedes to the Maranello team.
Lauda plays down the significance.
"Clear was responsible for Hamilton's car, but he has been out for 12 months," Lauda said. "That is a long time in Formula One."
