As TJ13 has been reporting, the destiny of the Milton Keynes based F1 team is hurtling towards a conclusion.
Mercedes and Honda have ruled out supplying Red Bull Racing with a 2016 power unit, leaving just Ferrari as a possibility were the agreement with Renault disolved.
However, Helmut Marko has made it clear they will not accept a ‘B’ spec engine which is all Ferrari are offering Red Bull. “If we don’t have a competitive engine we will leave Formula 1.”
The breaking news from the Sochi paddock via AMuS is that Ferrari have now refused to supply Red Bull Racing with and engine for 2016. Ferrari ironically have said they will provide Red Bull’s younger and more exciting Italian sister – Toro Rosso – with a power unit next year.
Dietrich Mateschitz on Wednesday this week, set the end of October as a hard deadline for a decision on an 2016 engine. No deal done would see the threat to withdraw RBR from Formula One.
Bernie Ecclestone has been working hard behind the scenes to ensure Red Bull have an engine supply for 2016, however he told assembled reporters in Sochi that he was ‘powerless’ to force Ferrari to agree a deal with Red Bull.
The same is clearly true of Mercedes.
TJ13 revealed here two weeks ago that Renault discussed with Red Bull the opportunity to by the Milton Keynes based team. This of course would leave Lotus out in the cold.
Further TJ13 disclosed in the past 7 days that Red Bull, have refused a final offer from Renault to dissolve their 2016 engine supply agreement.
The divorcees are looking more and more like they may have one last try, have another baby (RB12) together – to see if it helps improve their own relationship.
That said, Christian Horner recently stated that he believed Renault are, “two to three years” behind Ferrari and Mercedes.
The latest paddock gossip is that Christian Horner will “have a go”, Ross Brawn style, should Dietrich Mateschitz pull the rug from under Milton Keynes team.
Even if this is the case, an engine agreement must be found and for 2016 neither Mercedes or Ferrari will supply an ‘A’ spec engine.
Speaking to SKY Sports live after FP1 in Sochi, a grave looking Christian Horner refused to confirm Ferrari have refused to supply Red Bull with a 2016 engine. “Nothing is fixed – everything is open”.
Meanwhile sources close to Ferrari are still repeating the news that Ferrari will not supply Red Bull with a 2016 engine.
Thankfully given the processional nature of F1 racing and the predictability of the championships, at least Red Bull Racing are supplying the fans with some level of excitement in this rolling news story.
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So let me understand what the options are then:
A. RBR and Renault still stay together for another year (which means RBR will not be the factory team any longer)
B. RBR withdraw completely
C. RBR are rebranded as Spice F1 Racing under Horner
D: RBR bought by Renault
D. RBR bought by Renault, and Lotus left to die (dissolved by HMRC)
Question – Will Renault then get two lots of “historic payments”, one they negotiated in last few weeks in their own right plus the one that RBR used to get?
E: RBR Honda
Option A with factory team support is what the current not yet canceled contract is about and what it will be. RBR runs Renault, TR maybe 2015 Ferrari. Renault does not buy Lotus, stays with RBR and uses the time to think if it will really stay in F1, in what way and possibly negotiate a deal with DM. At the same time Renault can use the time to find a new corporate strategy as their diesel line-up will hit a dead end and they have to shift focus to hybrid. You would think that a company that races hybrid engines would focus on a hybrid lineup as well, but their almighty God Ghosn decided long ago that they do not want a hybrid future.
There is absolutely no point buying Lotus and put a Renault engine in it when two client teams will woop its behind every race. The only way Renault can wriggle itself out of the RBT contracts is by declaring that they will not require a cancellation fee. But they need that fee to buy and run Lotus.
yours is certainly the most fresh total tosh.
Lol at spice f1 XD
on a aside – I think I saw Horner has had his wonky teeth straightened. Inspired (told) by Spicegirl to get it done?
I haven’t seen/noticed that. I wouldn’t think he used braces for that then if it got sorted out that quick haha!
Ow yeah that torro Rosso deal makes this whole charade even better!
I’m confused by the PU supply. It was my understanding, under the new rules, that manufacturers had to submit a PU in February to be put “under seal” and that engine, with the exception of for safety or reliability, couldn’t be changed for the season. Everyone gets the PU Mercedes (or whoever) put under seal in February. So, even with in season tokens, how is it that Honda, Mercedes and Ferrari all have 2 different generations of PU this weekend. If they release a token modified PU, does that not become the sealed specification?
That was the rule for 2014. The 2015 rules neglected to state a homologation date.
I realize there was no date set but I thought the rules covered only a single spec and that is why they had to vote to allow Manor to run last years PU. So if for 2016 they have/will set a date then do you think that implies one spec at a time?
That loophole Ferrari uncovered will not be available 2016
They’ve already set the date for Feb 28th
Allegedly Bernie pulled everyone in a meeting (Merc, Ferrari, Renault, RBR) and has said that it’s all sorted…whatever that means.
Part of me thinks that Merc will come to regret their refusal to supply RBR with engines. I can sense several roadblocks coming heir way from Bernie and on the other hand lots of help to whoever helps keep RBR in the sport.
“Allegedly Bernie …. has said that it’s all sorted”
Autosport report uses the future tense:
“F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, meanwhile, has confirmed “everything is being sorted””
Er, no, that’s the present continuous tense, I believe. As in the increasingly popular “I am liking” which seems to be replacing “I like”. Amongst the tw@tter@ti, at least.
You may laugh, but this is what the rumor was, one of the RB-teams get a Ferrari and the othe rone gets a Renault. I would have placed a bet towards a RBR Ferrari Infinity (?) and a STR Renault
Why? STR are less of a threat to Ferrari than RBR, so surely you’d give the former the better engine.
Ferrari said that it’s a logistical reason. STR being closer and being less of a threat might have swayed their decision to do so
One can imagine Renault to be about as happy to work with RBR as having a leg cut off. STR might be a different story considering they were in talks to become factory team.
I believe the logistics too, they aren’t really that far from each other
If mateshitz were to pull the pin and Renault then bought RBR… Would they get the whole RBR f1 factory and employees..?? I’m imagining Cyril abiteboul entering pit lane in Melbourne flanked by his butlers; A. Newey serving glasses of champagne and C. Hornet with shoe polish and rags 😉
Arden.
I can only enjoy watching all the drama. Bernie is not happy that Mercedes are not supplying one of their main rivals with their engines, why should they ? Did Red Bull reveal the secret of their trick-diffuser while they were winning ? It was up to all the other teams to catch up and give Red Bull a fight. All this nonsense about keeping Red Bull in the loop is utterly churlish.
i think Ferrari mostly were avoiding putting their engine in a car that has a giant INFINITY logo on its side. plus all the other political bs.
But Ferrari didn’t mind having a giant FIAT logo on its cars in the past..
Ferrari want Max’s contract in exchange for the engine.
We will probably know which team did what in regards to p**sing MrE off later today. Let’s see who gets TV time and who’s car and engine is MIA.. We will then know who will supply RedBull next year