Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed what many have always believed, that Formula 1 bosses have done "so many things" to aid Ferrari's success in the sport.
Ecclestone, who no longer controls the sport following Liberty Media's recent takeover, admitted in an interview with Italy's La Repubblica that he and former FIA president Max Mosley have aided Ferrari's success over the years through regulation changes, because the sport has always benefitted from the brand doing well.
"Helping Ferrari has always been the smartest thing to do," he said. "And it has always been done through technical regulation [changes].
"The teams are important for F1, but Ferrari is more than that, so many things have been done over the years that have helped Maranello win."
When asked if the FIA's Charlie Whiting had been involved or worked to benefit British teams, Ecclestone replied: "No, Charlie has always done what he has to do, but Max [Mosley] has often helped Ferrari, and I too wanted Ferrari to be a winner.
"All the teams have an interest in challenging a competitive Ferrari. It is one thing to win against Sauber, but another to win against a red car from Maranello."
Ecclestone also suggested Ferrari's recent upturn in performance had come from guidance by rival team Mercedes, particularly on the engine side.
"I do not know [for sure], but if Mercedes had decided to translate technology to Maranello, I'd say it was a good move.
"It is also certain that with the friendly situation between the two teams, the best thing for Stuttgart [Mercedes] in 2017 was to make sure that a) that Red Bull did not have the best engines and b) Ferrari was competitive enough to be a credible rival to beat.
"For the Mercedes it is the same reason [to help Ferrari]: a world championship won against Sauber is one thing. One won against Ferrari is another."
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