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'Dissatisfied' Red Bull issues F1 quit threat

Published on 16 Mar 2015 12:12
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By: Rob Veenstra

Red Bull has threatened to quit formula one. "We are dissatisfied with the way formula one is governed," Dr Helmut Marko was quoted on Sunday by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. The 2010-2013 world championship-winning team is furious with its start to the new season, as engine partner Renault struggles and Mercedes extends its dominance.

Team boss Christian Horner said Sauber, Ferrari's engine customer, is a perfect example of what is wrong with the current rules. All week, the Swiss team has clung to survival in a Melbourne courtroom, but on track in Melbourne, it was a F1 giant-killer. "They're using last year's wings," marvelled Horner. "Our new chassis is half a second better than the last year. The difference is the engine," he insisted.

Indeed, Renault has had a terrible start to the new season, despite reorganising its structure over the winter and re-designing much of its troubled turbo V6 of 2014. Horner, however, claims the French marque's step has actually been "retrograde". He said the 2015 power unit is "undriveable". Marko says that is "unacceptable". "To be able to drive at all, we have to use 80 to 100 horse power less," claimed Marko.

Red Bull is now taking steps to get more involved in Renault's development process, including bringing in the Austrian giant AVL and engine guru Mario Illien. But Marko, designer Adrian Newey and Horner insist the FIA also needs to step in, for the sake of F1. "When we were winning," Horner said on Sunday, "double diffusers were banned, exhausts were moved, flexible bodywork was prohibited, engine mapping was changed. Anything."

Newey added: "With Mercedes, nobody says a word." Horner continued: "I think is it healthy to have a situation where the FIA, within the rules, have an equalisation mechanisation. I think perhaps they need to look at it."

Faced with Horner's 'equalisation' proposal, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff late on Sunday used an unpublishable four-letter word. But even Ferrari, having taken a big step forward over the winter, is no longer pushing for big rule changes. "Our job is to attack Mercedes on the track," said boss Maurizio Arrivabene, "not to change the rules."

Furious Red Bull, meanwhile, issued its quit threat. "If the cost-benefit calculation no longer makes sense," revealed Marko, "we have thought about an exit scenario." (GMM)

F1 News Renault Ferrari Sauber Mercedes

Replies (4)

ianf1

Posts: 185
Would CH be complaining if he had a Mercedes engine? I think not. It's sour grapes from a bad loser. Follow Ferraris lead and fix things on track CH, you're beginning to sound like a stuck record.
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- Mar 16 2015 - 13:13
NSG

Posts: 5
Red Bull gave you 'wings', now it makes one 'whine'
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- Mar 16 2015 - 13:34
khasmir

Posts: 893
Ferrari do seem to have made up some of the difference but at how much percent of true power were Mercedes running during the race... The gap is still huge if you look at Q.
I don't care what any of the teams are saying but lets be honest, did anyone enjoy the first race of the season? 25% of the cars did not make it to the starting grid and just 1 car about 50% of the entry list made it across the finishing line. On top of that, there was never any fight for the lead after the first corner. It was a Mercedes parade, boring as hell. Is this what F1 has really become?
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- Mar 16 2015 - 19:33
BtwnDitches

Posts: 204
Agree - get out the telephone Yellow Pages, Horner - look under "replacement V-6 racing engines." Pick anyone (except Renault). Get rid of that glass of "whine" and have an energy drink, if you can find one - and chill out.
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- Mar 16 2015 - 19:51