Lack of viable engine could ‘force Red Bull out of F1’
Adrian Newey has accused Red Bull’s rivals of being afraid to supply them with engines for 2016 and warned there was a real risk of the four-times world champions being forced out of the sport.
The Briton, whose cars have won 10 constructors’ titles, also criticised the governing body, the FIA, for allowing the engine-manufacturing arms of Ferrari and Mercedes to establish a de facto duopoly. “We’re possibly going to be forced out of Formula One – Mercedes and Ferrari have refused to supply us, out of fear,” said Newey, the sport’s most successful designer.
Red Bull, using Neweydesigned cars, won four successive constructor and driver titles with SebastianVettel and Renault engines from 2010 to 2013. Renault have struggled in the newV6 turbo hybrid era that came in last year, while Mercedes have been dominant and clinched a second straight constructors’ crown in Russia on Sunday, with Red Bull lying fourth. “Unfortunately, our relationship with Renault is pretty terminal, so we have no engine,” Newey said.
Newey, who has also designed winning cars for Williams and McLaren, said Mercedes and Ferrari had reneged on promises to provide Red Bull with engines because “they became concerned we would beat them with their own engine”.
McLaren could also veto Red Bull using the muchmaligned Honda engine, he added.