Red Bull Threatens To Leave F1 Racing

Red Bull may leave Formula 1 races if the motorsport racing owners Liberty Media, alongside the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), cannot find a solution to racecar engine problems.

Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko said last week that F1 must find an independent engine supply solution by the end of the 2017 season, which runs from March through November, or risk the team leaving.

"We are talking about a much less sophisticated engine to what we have now. The engine has to be simple, noisy, and, on the cost side, below $10 million. There are enough companies around that could supply [such an engine],” Marko said, although he did not name specific manufacturers.

Red Bull currently uses V6 turbo engines, introduced in 2014, which consume both gasoline and electricity. According to Mercedes’ engine boss Andy Cowell V6 engines are more powerful than previous models, like the V8 and V10. V6 engines use an electrical recovery system that when combined with a 1.6 liter engine for a full lap around a racetrack, produce more power.

But while the V6 is powerful, it is criticized due to a lack of noisy sound produced – a valued trait within racecar driving – especially when compared to the V8 and V10 engines used previously.

Red Bull Racing is a British F1 team, racing under an Austrian license and based in Milton Keynes, England. It is one of two F1 teams owned by the Austrian beverage company Red Bull GmbH, the other being the Italian racing team Scuderia Toro Rosso. 

Both teams use engines developed by French automobile maker Renault. In 2015, Red Bull and Renault brawled over the manufacturer's struggle to produce a reliable and competitive engine. As an alternative to Renault, Red Bull explored supply deals with Mercedes, Ferrari and Honda, but ultimately Red Bull resumed its contract with Renault, which allowed its engines to be rebranded “TAG-Heuer.”

Red Bull has won four successive Constructors' Championship titles, in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, becoming the first Austrian licensed team to win the title. The team also introduced to the F1 world the quadruple world champion pilot of 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, Sebastian Vettel, who is currently serving for Ferrari team. But in 2014 it started to use the V6 model engines, which cost $7.7 million and have not produced desired results.

At a meeting held in Paris on March 31, FIA President Jean Todt and several F1 and non-F1 engine manufacturers reached an agreement to team up to develop a simpler, cheaper and noisier engine that can go online after the current regulatory cycle, which began in 2014, comes to an end in 2020.

"The latest must be 2021 that an independent engine supplier comes into F1. This is more than necessary.  If that doesn't happen, our stay in F1 is not secured," Marko said.