Leading teams Ferrari and McLaren expect engine reliability to play the most important role in deciding the fate of the Formula One championship after Sunday's eventful European Grand Prix.

In the inaugural race on Valencia's street circuit, Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa drove superbly to claim an unchallenged victory but his teammate and defending champion Kimi Raikkonen of Finland retired after blowing his engine.

It was the second engine failure in successive races for the usually ultra-reliable Ferrari and left it pondering over mechanical issues, while McLaren did not have to fit a single spare part to a car during its three days on the track.

"Unfortunately, we suffered with a reliability problem which cost us precious points. Now we have to find out what happened in yet another engine failure and then decide how to react," Ferrari team chief Stefano Domenicali told reporters.

"Clearly what happened is serious and we will have to do all in our power to make up for the ground we have lost through reliability problems in the coming races.

"Now we must continue to push to the maximum to develop the car and improve reliability in order to be as well prepared as possible for the forthcoming races."

His technical chief Luca Baldisserri was just as forthright.

"We have a great potential from both the team and the car, capable of putting us in front of everyone else, but if not all the elements are operating at their optimum, then we are throwing away precious points that could cost us dear," he said.

"We must work to remedy these problems and that's what we have to do now."

After the unique challenge of a new street track, the championship moves on to the traditional power circuits at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and Monza in Italy, where engine reliability will be tested to the maximum.

"The most positive element for us was that the boxes containing our spare parts were kept closed all weekend," said Norbert Haug, sporting chief for McLaren engine supplier Merecedes-Benz.

"We didn't need to fit a single replacement part throughout a race weekend that everyone thought would be full of crashes," he added.

"Now we can work hard for the final third of the season, which begins with the back-to-back races at Spa and Monza, two particularly challenging circuits that will put maximum stress on the engines."

Despite Hamilton's illness and neck problems, McLaren earned enough points to cut into Ferrari's lead in the constructors' championship and see the 23-year-old Englishman extend his advantage in the drivers' series.

With six races left, Hamilton leads with 70 points to Massa's 64 and Ferrari has 121 to McLaren's 113.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily August 26, 2008)