Red Bull should continue its partnership with Renault

Red Bull Racing seems to want to continue using Renault engines for the 2010 season, after ruling out a possible switch to Mercedes-Benz engines.

Red Bull tried everything to obtain the German engines for the next season, and their hopes of reaching an agreement were boosted when the F1 rules changed to allow a manufacturer to supply power units to four teams. It should be noted that unless one of the four new teams possibly withdraws, Cosworth will power five teams.

However, the delay in reaching an agreement is one of the main reasons for Red Bull’s decision. They do not want to fall behind in the design of the new car and are therefore preparing to continue their collaboration with Renault. The team also believes that Renault’s power unit will be stronger next year, when in-race refueling will be banned.

«Since Monza, Renault has remarkably raised its game and has done everything possible to enable us to have a strong finish to the season,» said Red Bull Racing director, Christian Horner. «Renault has the most fuel-efficient engine, which will be very important in 2010.»

However, the head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, Norbert Haug, stated during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend that his company was still discussing the viability of supplying another team.

Approval is there for one year, and it is still under internal discussion. The final decision has not yet been made, Haug stated, who insisted that a team can still do a good job despite a late decision regarding the engine, as demonstrated by Brawn GP this season.

It is probably not the ideal scenario, but one thing is certain, the current world champion constructors’ team is the one that received an engine the latest, and we are not delaying the process, added Haug. One thing that is proven is that it is possible to get the job done, even with a late decision.