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Mercedes not in conversation with Red Bull yet

Published on 18 Aug 2015 09:42
1
By: Rob Veenstra

Toto Wolff has put the brakes on runaway speculation about a Mercedes engine deal for Red Bull. Reports in the last days have indicated that the energy drink owned team will almost certainly split with Renault and link up with German power for 2016.

But with Red Bull and its existing supplier Renault still tied together contractually, Mercedes chief Wolff insists that the media reports are a step ahead of reality. "There has not been a single conversation with Red Bull in that direction," he told the Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung, "although you should in life never say never."

However, any off-the-record talks, or the obvious current negotiations via the media, may become more concrete if - as expected - Red Bull and Renault do announce their impending divorce. From both sides, every sign is that a split is now inevitable. "When Vettel drove to four world titles," Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn is quoted as saying, "Red Bull illuminated formula one. But in the current situation, only the engine is criticised."

Also criticised, however, is Ferrari's approach to the Red Bull-Renault split, with Sergio Marchionne reportedly only offering a 'B'-version of the marque's power unit to the beleaguered energy drink-owned team. One insider thinks the Maranello team has missed a trick.

"With a Mercedes-powered Red Bull, the balance of power will change again," the Ferrari insider is quoted by Germany's Auto Bild. "So the question is 'Why did Ferrari not do everything possible to supply Red Bull with engines themselves?' Now they (Ferrari) just risk being overtaken again." (GMM)

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Replies (1)

dr002

Posts: 141
With all of these engine supplier shenanigans and goings on, the whole F1 competition and framework is just, well there is no other word for it, 'stupid'.

I think F1 should comprise 4 engine manufactures each of whom MUST supply engines to a factory team and AT LEAST 2 Constructors teams, with 3 drivers in the factory team and 2 drivers in each of the constructor teams. Three tyre manufacturers should then be approved with each tyre manufacturer having to supplying one of the three engine manufacturer’s team (which tyre manufacturer for which team would vary from race to race). F1 would then comprise the following 5 championships:

1. Driver’s Championship (for all 28 Cars) – Stays exactly the same.

2. Factory Team Championship (between the 12 Factory Cars) – Each engine manufacturer would nominate their factory team (eg Redbull would currently be Renault’s factory team). Points would be awarded to top 7 finishing places (eg, seven points for first, one point for seventh, if a Constructor team comes fourth, no points would be awarded for fourth). Having three drivers within each factory team would also better highlight the driver’s abilities and essentially create another competition between each factory team’s drivers.

3. Constructors Championship (between the remaining 16 Non Factory Teams) – Points would be awarded to for the top 12 places on the grid for each of the Non Factory Cars.

4. Engine Championship - Points awarded for all finishing places on the grid. Would therefore emphasis reliability, as well as performance, and would encourage the manufacturer to assist their Constructor Teams.

5. Tyre Championship - Points awarded for all finishing places on the grid as in the Engine Championship.
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- Aug 19 2015 - 01:44