Red Bull: F1 should not be afraid of losing Mercedes
Christian Horner explained that Formula 1 should not fear Mercedes' departure in case of changes to engine regulations, but rather promote the interest of the majority.

The end of the F1 season was marked by challenges from some engine manufacturers—Renault and Ferrari, notably—regarding the regulations on power units.
For Christian Horner, the Red Bull director, Formula 1 should not be afraid to change things, even if it might cause the departure of the Mercedes team, which pushed for the introduction of hybrid turbo technology and invested heavily to return to the highest level.
The central point of tension is the issue of the costs of this technology, considered by some stakeholders as harmful to long-term discipline. Red Bull has notably proposed, in recent weeks, to maintain the current V6 turbo while associating it with standard energy recovery systems. This proposal is not without contradicting Mercedes’ communication, which believes that hybridization is a key element in marketing.
A change in rules could occur without the unanimity of the teams being necessary as early as 2016, and it could, at worst, lead to the departure of Mercedes. Christian Horner is aware of this, but for him, Formula 1 cannot focus solely on the German manufacturer. What do we do? If you leave things as they are, you will probably see Renault and one or two others leave. So, you have to do what’s right for the sport rather than what’s right for a single manufacturer, he explained to *Autosport*.
« We cannot afford not to do things right in 2016. We must get rid of gadgets and let the driver drive the car. The amount of communication regarding energy management and so on, it’s too much. We need to reduce that and return driving to the drivers. »
The Briton claims he does not want to open Pandora’s box: « Ultimately, we have a choice: we can say “everything is open for 2016, spend what you want and let’s go for open development.” I don’t think the manufacturers want that, and you’d probably lose one or two by taking that path. Or you say, “let’s try to cut some of the costs and do something that still allows competition, but is more contained and responsible in what is provided to the customer as well.” For me, that’s a much more logical route to follow. Obviously, it’s not going to be popular with everyone, but if you look at it overall, it would be better for F1. »