Stuttgart set the standard

Sir,

In your March issue, a letter from two engineers who look after the racing cars in the Mercedes-Benz historic collection tell us that the M196 engine using desmodromic valve gear regularly clocked up 1500km between major overhauls.

If Mercedes F1 engines could achieve that in 1955, I am sure they ought to be able to comply with the one-engine-per-car-per-GP rule that comes into force in 2004, especially with modern oils, materials and rev-limiters.

I am, Yours etc, Brian K Joscelyne, Braintree Essex