Mercedes rules out Red Bull engine supply
Mercedes has ruled out supplying Red Bull with Formula 1 engines following Honda’s planned exit at the end of 2021.
With Honda announcing its plan to exit F1 at the start of this month, Red Bull and sister team Alphatauri are now in search of a new engine supplier from 2022. The teams appear to have limited options, as just three engine manufacturers remain in F1.
Renault has said that it would be open to rekindling a partnership with Red Bull, but Mercedes has categorically confirmed it would not be interested in working with its closest on-track rival.
When asked by Autosport if a deal was of interest, Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff ruled it out for “various reasons”.
“The main [reason] being that we are supplying four teams including us,” said Wolff. “We are almost in a state where we cannot make power units for all of us, so there is no capacity. But I have no doubt that Helmut [Marko] will have a Plan B, as he said, and probably doesn’t need to rely on any of the current power-unit suppliers.”
This would entail Red Bull and Alphatauri continuing with the existing Honda engines, but with a different badge.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said that Wolff had “made it clear that Mercedes is not keen to supply an engine”, therefore limiting the team “to two current suppliers in the sport”. He added that Red Bull had to “take time to do the necessary investigation and due diligence” about its options.
Mercedes was previously in talks with Red Bull about an engine supply when it was trying to cut ties with Renault back in 2015, only for the move to be rejected by the German manufacturer’s board.