“Red Bull doesn’t want to have customer engines that have 30 to 40 horsepower less and can be manipulated by the constructor in case of the customer team endangering the works team,” read the Red Bull Racing de facto press release on its website Speedweek.
“Red Bull would like to continue in Formula One only if Ferrari is willing to provide true works engines that are on the same level as the engines of [Sebastian] Vettel and [Kimi] Räikkönen.”
Whether you’re a casual fan or a high-roller at the upper echelons of the sport, there’s a great deal of nonsense to unpack from this sweeping demand.
First, Red Bull’s well known problems. It has extricated itself from its 2016 Renault engine contract, tired of the power unit’s poor performances, to seek a new partner – but Mercedes has rejected it, Honda is not interested, and Ferrari is undecided.
Red Bull could very easily find itself without an engine at the end of the year.
This column has detailed on multiple occasions that the crisis Red Bull finds itself in, a crisis in which it is almost entirely powerless, is of its own doing, and that it must now face the music of the situation it has engineered.
Red Bull Racing has a history of complaining when things do not go its way. The last two years have given ample evidence to this, as did its attitude towards Ferrari’s engines – ironically the brand of engine it is trying to procure once again – when it entered the sport before switching to Renault power.
It has constantly fussed over Pirelli’s tyres, playing a major part in forcing the tyre manufacturer’s hand after the infamous 2013 British Grand Prix that featured multiple tyre blowouts, and went on to dominate the second half of the championship on compounds that better suited its car.
It showed similar single-minded ruthlessness when it broke away from the Formula One Teams Association at the height of the teams’ commercial negotiations with the sport’s commercial rights holder, spoiling the opportunity for them to win a fair share of television and advertising money to prioritise only for personal gain.
Ironically that last listed act may force its hand today as it seeks to navigate itself from its mess; with the sign-on money it so enthusiastically jumped for came a commitment to compete in the sport until 2020.
Sure, Red Bull can withdraw from its contractual obligations to race for five more years, but is Dietrich Mateschitz prepared to pay the commercial rights holder to essentially sack a combined workforce of 1100 currently employed by Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso? You wouldn’t think so.
With mass redundancy out of the question, the last avenue to explore is a deal with Ferrari, from which Red Bull will try to buy a parity engine equal to that supplied to the Scuderia’s own team.
But this demand is nonsense – the Italian car manufacturer has no reason to supply a well resourced rival with a top-line engine, especially while it prepares for an imminent IPO. What interest does it have in devaluing its on-track asset by empowering a rival?
Red Bull had the opportunity to have a works engine deal – it was at the start of last year, when Renault was clearly in trouble. It could have invested in the French manufacturer’s development to create a stronger partnership, but it instead opted to hang the French out to dry. Now the sport may do the same with Red Bull.
Speedweek’s claims, on three counts, do not add up.
Red Bull has contributed a great deal to Formula One, certainly – its presence in the sport has vicariously sold Formula One, a business traditionally loathe to conduct any sort of promotion, to markets in which it would otherwise have had a minimal presence.
Also not to be discounted is the Red Bull junior driver programme, which has developed, among others, Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Daniil Kvyat, Carlos Sainz, and now Max Verstappen, among others still rising through the ranks.
However, Red Bull would have been wise not to mistake its positive impact on the sport for such sizeable political influence – because now it’s up against Ferrari, the political biggest fish of them all, and none bar Bernie Ecclestone wields more power in the world of Formula One.
Red Bull is out of cards to play. Its quit threat is a nuclear option of the most extreme order. It cannot demand parity engines. Ferrari’s power units – whether one specification or one year out of date – are the only option. Volkswagen and Audi? Not in the short term, if ever.
It’s time Red Bull learnt the adage beggars cannot be choosers, and one suspects that phrase will ring true sooner rather than later.
Follow @MichaelLamonato at the #JapaneseGP for updates from the Suzuka paddock.
Megan
Guest
Well if Red Bull and Torro Rosso pullout they may go to 3 car teams so maybe Dan could end up as the 3rd driver at Mercedes or Ferrari. A seat with an actual chance of competing for the world championship. So maybe he could benefit from Red Bull's "inept off track strategy.
Higgik
Guest
Shame about the VW issue though. They could have used the Lamborghini brand as the engine. Reason one: Lamborghini have always wanted to put one over Ferrari Reason two: would be great to have Red Bull powered by The Raging Bull.
Chancho
Roar Rookie
You'd also have to reconsider possible VW entry given the emissions scandal... This isn't going away anytime soon and VW have set aside billions for when they face fines and recalls (€7bn I heard?)... Maybe Mateschitz needs to buy a supplier to get around this? With the Lotus/Renault deal going on, this might have been a great time to be a Renault customer?
Chancho
Roar Rookie
One thing I forgot to say, I've often wondered about having another championship for engines in the same way you have a constructors championship, you also have one for power units. This would entice the supplier to give the best engines they can to customers and there's also the financial gains as well... It's not a well thought through opinion admittedly as I'm not sure what it does when you have a dominant engine like MB last year, but it was good to see Williams up there in '14. But where it has merit is IF the move towards ground effect comes in and reduces some of the aero issues we have now?
Chancho
Roar Rookie
Just on Red Bull, I've never held Horner in any great esteeme in all honesty. I understand he's worked his way up the categories with Arden etc but to me he seems like he's gotten to where he is by dumb luck. If I were Ferarri I would have major concerns, particularly given how publicly he has criticised Renault... and I seem to remember a trackside interview he gave where he said something about 'no way would we ever want to be a customer of Ferarri given our experience with Toro Rosso'... now look where he is, and seems he's doing the same thing again. He lacks that diplomacy that goes with team management... Not a great leader in my eyes. Merc did the right thing by getting in first, brilliant move by them! Again not sure how Horner could expect to get an on par Merc engine, can't say all their customers are contending for much.
FrozenNorth
Guest
They are in all sorts, they really should have stuck with Renault if they were not happy to take a slightly weaker engine from the two top teams. They're stuffed.
The Barkness
Guest
Come on Lambo, get in there - we know how much you love outdoing Ferrari. Imagine it. I man can dream. But seriously another manufacturer would make things interesting.
Simoc
Guest
The Ferrari boss stated he had no problem in supplying competitive engines to Red Bull. He believes the Ferrari chassis is or will be the best and they are in F1 to compete. But you wouldn't think Red Bull would get the latest motor upgrades after getting the seasons supply. Torro Rosso have been using the motor for awhile now and the motor information is probably available to Red Bull. The Mercs have started with a superior engine design and you can't just change your design like previously. Which is why it is strange that the Honda is so slow. They must have miscalculated somewhere in their design to be so far behind.
Michael Lamonato
Expert
Teams screw up, though. McLaren and Ferrari have been doing it for years, and even Red Bull at the start of this year was pretty average aero-wise. For sure Red Bull has a right to expect more, but it won't get it (and hasn't gotten it) by publicly shaming Renault for doing a bad job. Don't forget, Renault gave RBR priority engines for almost all of the pair's relationship — it even burnt Lotus to some degree just to placate Red Bull, so it's little wonder the relationship's broken down so quickly. Agree with the last part, but there's a myriad of problems in the way of it. Hopefully someone will get around to fixing them sooner rather than later...
Michael Lamonato
Expert
Thanks! That would be a huge shame, but at the moment there's not really anywhere for him to go. The good news is, at least, that the Ferrari engine's a good one, so he won't be languishing at the back of the pack.
Michael Lamonato
Expert
We're not talking about Ferrari building a b-spec engine for its customers, though. In almost all circumstances, "second-rate" engines, as we'll call them, are like that because they're either one iteration behind (as is the case with all Mercedes and Ferrari customers at the moment after the Italian engine upgrades), and through software integration. Considering these engine suppliers are also teams, and significant percentage of engine design work in these two facets are about making the engine work with the car, it's inevitable that non-works teams will get engines that are in some way inferior to those used in the lead cars. In that sense, what Red Bull is demanding is nonsense. It's impractical to provide identical engines in all these respects, and it's also not in Ferrari's interests, as a competitor, to redirect its resources to making its engines as compatible with the cars of its customers as they are with its own. Renault, on the other hand, could achieve this to some degree because it had no works car, so it could agree on some common architecture with all its customers (when they weren't just Red Bull's teams).
James B
Guest
I think Ferrari and Mercedes are taking the position of old engine or no engine. They don't want the extra competition. They have the right not to sell engines to their competition and are doing red bull a favour by even giving them the posability of an old engine. If Red Bull or another team wants a full works engine nothing is stopping them from starting a manufacturing division and building one themselves.
Stevo
Guest
You could still see 16 competitive cars on grid – which is essentially not much different to what we have now? really? I am pretty sure that there isn't 16 competitive cars on the grid now. There is 4 cars, two Mercedes and two Ferarri's. Then the best of the rest about 1 - 1.5 seconds a lap and more behind. I don't like Red Bull's whining any more than anyone else does, but to say they are wrong for publically criticising what is essentially a second rate engine at the moment, is ridiculous. Assuming that Renault take over Lotus and establish their works team, if they manage to supply a better engine than what they have done the last two season, then IMO, they have every right to be asking WTF have Renault been doing for the last two seaons. I agree with you Rodney, that I think it is wrong for Mercedes, Ferrari or whomever to supply what is essentially an under performing engine to customer teams. If Red Bull, or any other customer team is prepared to pay for a full works engine, then such should be supplied. If they aren't prepared for such, then they pay for a year old less competitive engine. Bernie and Formula one should be doing everything possible to have as many competitive cars on the grid as they possibly can. Having three, four, five or six teams in with a chance of winning races can only be of benefit to F1, the fans, TV deals and sponsors etc. ATM Formula 1 is for the most part, simply a follow the leader around the track.
goodfella
Guest
You raise a good point about Red Bull having the clear opportunity to re-invest in a long term partnership with Renault and return to the pointy end of the championship with patience and loyalty to a common cause. But patience and loyalty are not in the Red Bull vernacular. Their 'we want to dominate or we're not gonna play' attitude is a potential wrecking ball to F1. But the sport can survive without Red Bull. If Renault commit to a works operation next year, the sport will have 4 committed manufacturer teams on the grid. Honda and Renault are too good not to make the gains necessary to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari - if each of those works teams run a satellite team with essentially access to the same power unit developments of the parent teams, you could still see 16 competitive cars on grid - which is essentially not much different to what we have now.
Rodney Gordon
Expert
To be honest, I don't really think engine suppliers should be allowed to supply under-performing engines to competitors if that's not what they want. I don't like Red Bull's tantrums either, but to call their request for a premium engine "nonsense" is a bit rough. I get that they might sell cheaper, under-powered engines to the smaller teams with limited budgets, but that doesn't apply here. If Ferrari or Mercedes don't want to sell engines to Red Bull then that's their business, but to only offer them a b-spec version while keeping the prime one for themselves is garbage imho.
Mark
Guest
I for one am sick of hearing Red Bulls tantrums. They put themselves in this position. They have nobody to blame but themselves. Their frequent stupid outbursts and public slamming of Renault this year has been a disgrace. They had a few good seasons then developed a massive superiority complex. They seem to forget they are infact one of the newer teams in F1 and their record is far behind the likes of Ferrari, McLaren & Williams. If they quit - which I don't think they have the guts to actually do - they won't be missed by many other than the 1100 odd staff they will have fired. I have no sympathy for them at all.
Marfu
Guest
Thanks. Good read. Red Bull have painted themselves into a corner and may now have to accept whatever Ferrari offers them. It will be a shame if Ricciardo ends up being a victim of Red Bull's inept off track strategy.