Booed yesterday, savior today: Renault is in a strong position against Red Bull
Red Bull is currently in crisis: the Austrian team has still not found an engine and might ultimately be forced to stay one more year with Renault. However, the French engine supplier, tired of its client's criticism, might also drag its feet...
The wheel turns in Formula 1: after announcing that it wanted to leave Renault and facing rejections from Ferrari and Mercedes for the next season, Red Bull finds itself in a critical situation. Will this force them to stay another year with Renault, whom they’ve harshly criticized throughout the season? The situation is not impossible at present.
However, speaking to Autosport, Renault F1’s general manager Cyril Abiteboul was clear with the Austrian team: “I sincerely hope we can find a way forward for each of the parties. But they have made very strong comments saying they no longer want to work with us. We will decide according to Renault’s interest if we need to change our plans. But frankly, when you see how we have been treated, it will be very difficult to sell to my board of directors and executive management the idea of doing things differently.”
The senior officials of Red Bull, including Dietrich Mateschitz and Helmut Marko, have all already announced that the contract with Renault for 2016 is no longer valid, without confirmation on whether the agreement has actually been terminated.
At the same time, Red Bull’s little sister team expressed its readiness to accept a 2015 Ferrari engine. Unfortunately, according to the team director, Franz Tost, Red Bull’s departure from F1 would also mean Toro Rosso’s withdrawal. Nevertheless, he did not refrain from teasing Renault, arguing that a 2015 Ferrari engine would already be an improvement for the next season.
Other rumors have also circulated about a last-minute turnaround in the future of the Renault team: the French brand, now in a position of strength against Red Bull, could ultimately decide to buy the Austrian team. Such an outcome would obviously render the future of the Lotus F1 Team very uncertain. In short, for once, the silly season this year concerns engines much more than drivers…
