Towards a Costly Divorce for Red Bull?
Red Bull wishes to part ways with Renault while they still have a year left on their contract with the French engine supplier. If a split is declared, it could prove very costly for the Anglo-Austrian team.
Since the beginning of the season, Red Bull has been loudly proclaiming that it wants to be powered by Mercedes, due to the performance level of the Renault engine. Mercedes would not be opposed to the idea of supplying an engine to the Austrian team, but there is still one year remaining in the contract between Renault and Red Bull.
If Red Bull decides to part ways with Renault, it could become very costly for the Austrian team. According to the Spanish newspaper AS, Renault could claim 40 million euros in damages. Currently ranked 4th in the Constructors’ World Championship, the Austrian team could also lose Infiniti’s sponsorship, which remains tied to Renault’s presence. Infiniti also contributes 40 million euros to Red Bull.
We must not forget that Total pays 10 million in sponsorship per year but is primarily a partner of Renault. If Renault is no longer present, neither is the oil company. This is what happened at Lotus, where Total is now only a personal sponsor of Romain Grosjean. Moreover, if Red Bull wants to be powered by Mercedes, they will have to pay 20 million euros since they will now be considered a mere customer and no longer an almost factory team.
In the worst-case scenario, the bill could amount to 110 million euros for the Milton Keynes team. According to the Spanish site, a meeting should take place between the leaders of Renault and the leaders of Red Bull to find an amicable solution.
