Red Bull could abandon Renault engines

Christian Horner, team principal of Red Bull, is not in a hurry to extend his contract with Renault, which supplies engines for his team. The agreement ends at the end of the season. He is reportedly considering another offer for next season, from Mercedes.

Despite an initial race victory achieved with a one-two finish at the Chinese Grand Prix, the magazine Autosport reveals exclusively this week that the Austrian team is already at an advanced stage in negotiations with Mercedes, although it has not ruled out continuing the venture with Renault.

« It is too early to talk about engines for next year, » stated Horner. « I hope Renault will still be present. The engine works well and, after being allowed to make adjustments at the end of last year, I believe it is comparable to other F1 engines. »

« You might have Mercedes which is a bit stronger, but I don’t think Renault will agree to surrender. »

As of today, the regulation prohibits supplying engines to more than three teams. In 2009, McLaren, Force India, and Brawn GP have Mercedes engines, and Red Bull could then replace the Brackley team in the medium term.

Horner added that rushing is pointless since it is possible to modify a car’s design in a relatively short term.

« Ross Brawn with his team is concrete proof that you can change the engine at the last minute, » concluded Horner.