Share

Red Bull F1 in shock engine switch?

LONDON, England - Red Bull is considering a switch to Ferrari power, according to a media report on Wednesday (June 17).

Germany's Sport Bild claims that, fed up with works partnerRenault's poor reliability and performance in the new V6 turbo 'power unit' era, Red Bull has been in talks with its arch-rival Ferrari.

A switch to Ferrari would be sensational Red Bull has been powered before by Maranello-built engines - in 2006. A year later, junior team Toro Rosso also became a Ferrari customer.

CONTRACTED UNTIL 2016

Red Bull's four-times F1 champion Sebastian Vettel moved to Ferrari at the end of 2014 but said recently he still had a good relationship with the energy-drink company.

Sport Bild claims Ferrari is indeed willing to facilitate Red Bull and Toro Rosso's return to Italian power for 2016 but the Red Bull-owned teams would reportedly have clear 'B' status, including a specification of engine perhaps 23kW less powerful than the works Ferrari team.

But Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko said however: "Even a B-version of the Ferrari would be better than the A-version of the Renault."

Both Red Bull teams are contracted to Renault for 2016 but a split could be facilitated by the French brand's desire to return to full works-team status, perhaps by buying Lotus.

Watch a video of  Red Bull driver Carlos Sainz light up Lima in Peru:

Stay with Wheels24 for the 2015 F1 season – fresh reports every day.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()