Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff says Red Bull consultant Dr. Helmut Marko is off base for believing that Mercedes is receiving special treatment by F1 tire supplier Pirelli.

No, the fix is not in, says Wolff.

Previously, Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel has suggested the new, thinner tire tread supplied by Pirelli in Barcelona was a cause of Ferrari's sudden struggles.

"You don't have to be a genius to understand that the tires get harder when you scratch off four millimeters," Vettel told the German media outlet Bild. "That's how other teams got on better than we did."

Red Bull's Marko agrees: "The tires were changed at the request of Mercedes. When you're a team and a manufacturer at the same time, you can do that. We produce energy drinks. Of course we cannot influence as much compared to a maker of passenger cars."

Mercedes boss Wolff, however, blasted Marko's allegations.

"It's not the first time the doctor sees ghosts," Wolff said. "There were problems with blistering on the tires in the winter tests, even at Red Bull. The rears looked like a volcanic landscape. So Pirelli improved them. It's bad for business if tires explode.

"I think it looks weak if you have a bad weekend and complain. First and foremost, we look at ourselves for our problems."

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