Newey: “Our relationship with Renault is in the terminal phase”
The possibility of Red Bull withdrawing from F1 is becoming increasingly likely. The team has no agreement with an engine supplier for the upcoming season, and its engineer, Adrian Newey, confirms the end of relations with Renault.
The current situation of the Red Bull team is absurd. Having decided to dispense with the services of its long-time engine supplier, Renault, the Austrian team has been refused collaborations with Mercedes and Ferrari, who do not wish to equip a rival team for the world championship.
The possibility of seeing Red Bull continue with Renault also seems highly unlikely if we are to believe Adrian Newey’s words: “It is possible that we may be forced to leave Formula 1; Mercedes and Ferrari have refused to supply us,” the British engineer told the news agency Reuters. “Unfortunately, our relationship with Renault is in its terminal phase. So we don’t have an engine.”
In a more than delicate situation, the team does not wish to merely make an appearance and would prefer to withdraw rather than compete under poor conditions: « Red Bull does not want to be in a position where they are just there to make up the numbers. We need to return to a situation where all teams have access to an engine. »
The Briton would also like the engine regulations to evolve so that there is less difference between power units, something the FIA is not inclined to do: « In the regulations, engines can be balanced so there is less performance disparity than there is currently. But the FIA has been reluctant to do so, he concludes.
