bigbadbrother
06-23-2014, 04:10 PM
Luke Smith
Red Bull advisor Helmet Marko has said that the team could be open to making its own engine in the future after a difficult season with Renault.
The team has enjoyed a successful partnership with its engine supplier since 2007, winning the last four drivers’ and constructors’ championships. However, the French marque has encountered a number of problems with its new turbochared V6 power unit that has left its clients struggling to match their Mercedes-powered rivals.
The problem is so severe that Marko (pictured right) suggested Red Bull could look into developing its own engine in the future.
“We will have a look at where the engine is standing after this weekend and then we will see what we can achieve with this engine,” Marko explained to Sky Sports.
“If we don’t see a possibility to be on a same level with Mercedes then we will have to look for alternatives
“We will not be asking Mercedes, but there are a lot of very skilled companies concerning engines. AVL is 70 kilometres from here.”
It could also be possible for Red Bull to work exclusively with an engine manufacturer and rebrand the engines. It was thought for 2014 that it would do something similar with Renault, rebranding the power units under the “Infiniti” banner. However, this did not come to fruition.
Marko’s comments may simply be a knee-jerk reaction to Renault’s problems so far this season, but should they persist, alternatives will have to be considered. The RB10 is aerodynamically still very strong, meaning that the great deficit to the Mercedes works team at the front of the field is primarily down to the power unit.
Yesterday on MotorSportsTalk, we looked at the story behind Sebastian Vettel’s tame title defence, highlighting the problems that have dashed his hopes of a fifth straight world championship in 2014. Renault’s woes came at the top of this list.
Red Bull advisor Helmet Marko has said that the team could be open to making its own engine in the future after a difficult season with Renault.
The team has enjoyed a successful partnership with its engine supplier since 2007, winning the last four drivers’ and constructors’ championships. However, the French marque has encountered a number of problems with its new turbochared V6 power unit that has left its clients struggling to match their Mercedes-powered rivals.
The problem is so severe that Marko (pictured right) suggested Red Bull could look into developing its own engine in the future.
“We will have a look at where the engine is standing after this weekend and then we will see what we can achieve with this engine,” Marko explained to Sky Sports.
“If we don’t see a possibility to be on a same level with Mercedes then we will have to look for alternatives
“We will not be asking Mercedes, but there are a lot of very skilled companies concerning engines. AVL is 70 kilometres from here.”
It could also be possible for Red Bull to work exclusively with an engine manufacturer and rebrand the engines. It was thought for 2014 that it would do something similar with Renault, rebranding the power units under the “Infiniti” banner. However, this did not come to fruition.
Marko’s comments may simply be a knee-jerk reaction to Renault’s problems so far this season, but should they persist, alternatives will have to be considered. The RB10 is aerodynamically still very strong, meaning that the great deficit to the Mercedes works team at the front of the field is primarily down to the power unit.
Yesterday on MotorSportsTalk, we looked at the story behind Sebastian Vettel’s tame title defence, highlighting the problems that have dashed his hopes of a fifth straight world championship in 2014. Renault’s woes came at the top of this list.