Tag: turbo

Red Bull and Renault to split – where to from here?

According to Autosport, the Red Bull Formula One team will not run Renault engines next season despite their contract which only ends at the end of the 2016 F1 season. It is reported that Red Bull will reportedly part ways with Renault after this season, having requested an early end to their partnership.

Formula 1’s decision to swap to 1.6-litre V6 Turbo engines pretty much put the nail in the Red Bull Renault coffin with the engine manufacturer unable to produce an engine capable of mounting a challenge against its rivals.

This has led to both parties publicly criticising one another and voicing the on-going frustration. The severe breakdown in the Red Bull Renault relationship has been no secret for some time already.

Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat were forced to take their seventh engines of the season for this past weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, resulting in major grid penalties.

According to Autosport, Red Bull have “issued a document requesting a termination” of their engine deal a year before its scheduled conclusion. It is also reported that Renault will accept this request.

Seven races remain this season and Red Bull are currently fourth in the Constructors’ Championship on 113 points, 338 behind Mercedes.

Red Bull is left with Mercedes and Ferrari as the only realistic options for power units next season but Mercedes has already ruled out the possibility of supplying Red Bull with engines in the future. According to Autosport, Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche has decided to bring discussions to an end following his visit to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix.

It would appear to leave Red Bull with the sole option of getting Ferrari engines.

Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene has said that supplying engines to Red Bull would not be an issue for Ferrari. Red Bull has used Ferrari engines in the past – for the 2006 F1 season.

Over the Italian Grand Prix weekend, Lewis Hamilton expressed doubt at the prospect of Mercedes supplying Red Bull with engines.

“I think if we’re serious about winning world championships, probably not,” he replied, when asked if such a move would be a good idea.

“Red Bull is a great team and it’s like giving Ferrari our engine,” he told reporters. “We’re here to win so we don’t really need it. There’s no financial benefit really in it, so I think we’re good where we are.”

However, at Ferrari, Arrivabene seems to have no such concerns.

“It is very difficult to talk about other people,” Arrivabene said. “In theory they have big names, with Newey as chief designer and it is easy to think that if you give them the engine they will build a scary chassis, which means they will be really competitive.

“Concerning my team, my engineers and aerodynamicists know their own jobs and for that reason I don’t have a problem. Competition is nice when you have a stronger competitor.”

He did however admit, “This doesn’t mean tomorrow morning we will give our engines to Red Bull or Toro Rosso.”

Photo Credits:

Red Bull photo courtesy of Red Bull Racing

Renault F1 photo courtesty of Renault Sport F1

Mauricio Arrivabene photo courtesy of Scuderia Ferrari

September 9, 2015
F1 2014: Australian GP Preview: Mystery In Melbourne

Eleven teams will start the 2014 Australian grand prix. Beyond this obvious fact not much else can be forecasted. Unpredictability in Formula 1 is back with a vengeance and brings with it a bevy unanswered questions.

How many drivers will finish the Australian grand prix? The saying that to finish first, first you must finish has never been so appropriate; and the prediction of half the field finishing the race is seen as generous by some. Reliability has dominated the winter testing season as teams struggled to integrate the new power units and electronic systems. Renault powered cars were stricken on the side of the track most often with issues ranging from cooling to complete failure. Meanwhile the consistent crooning of the Mercedes power stamped its authority at the top of time sheets.

The pecking order after twelve days of testing suggests that Mercedes, Williams and McLaren are the front running teams, at least on paper. These teams, all Mercedes powered, delivered the most consistent performances over long runs and in qualifying trim. The newly renamed Williams Martini team looks to have taken a significant step forward and Felipe Massa believes that he will start the Australian GP with a good chance of mixing it at the front. It would be especially sweet for the former Ferrari driver should his Williams feature in the top three.

To be the favourite on paper doesn’t carry much weight, if any at all. The reality is that Red Bull Racing may yet show up Down Under and perform quite well. The car rolled into the back of the truck on the final day of testing will hardly resemble the one that takes to the Albert Park circuit this weekend. Several teams will bring a raft of updates for their cars as they aim to learn as much as possible before the start of Sunday’s race.

The Ferrari team has remained under the radar with neither of its mega quick drivers revealing too much about the team’s prospects. The Italian squad’s winter hasn’t been awesomely positive nor has it been disastrous. Fernando Alonso was particularly underwhelmed about driving in 2014. “We were saving the tyres from lap one of the stints last year, and we are saving the tyres from lap one this year. That’s no different. I don’t think things will change that much, but obviously the cars are slower,” said the double champion. It is worth noting that the Alonso is one the greatest politicians in the F1 game. A bit of psychological by-play is never too far from his repertoire.

In a normal year of F1, the first race of the season requires for a variety of factors to come together just right to ensure success – and 2014 is no normal year. Teams are limited to 100 kilos of fuel per car for the grand prix which will call for vigilant fuel management throughout the race. As before, tyres have to be looked after, so too the power units which are limited to five per season. However, in F1 2014 the driver can be the difference. “It really is a driver’s car – more than the old ones,” said McLaren rookie Kevin Magnussen. “It’s a bit more difficult with more torque. It’s difficult to take care of the tyres and I think it’s going to be tricky. You need more skill and more sensitivity in your throttle.”

Few things are the same in Formula 1 2014. The cars do not look the same, they do not sound the same and they are a tad slower. However, the skill of the greatest drivers in the world and absolute unpredictability of it all ensure that it remains the greatest spectacle. This is Formula 1 2014.

March 11, 2014
F1 2013: Toro Rosso aligns with Renault

The Toro Rosso team has announced that they will switch engine manufacturers for next year.

The sister team to Red Bull, formely known as Minardi, have been using Ferrari engines since 2007 but will switch to the French manufacturer for 2014. The engine regulations that come into affect for the 2014 season stipulates the use of 1.6 litre V6 turbo.

The announcement of the deal comes with the confirmation that Red Bull has extended its deal with Renault. Renault chairman Carlos Ghosn released a statement outlining the future partnership with the two teams.

“I am pleased to announce the strengthening of the partnership existing between Renault and the Red Bull group with the renewal of the agreement with Infiniti Red Bull Racing on one side and the extension of this agreement in terms of powering the cars to the Toro Rosso team,” said Ghosn in a press conference in Monaco this morning. It is a great recognition by Red Bull of the performance of the Renault engines and technology and, particularly, we are very glad that Toro Rosso is switching from another major supplier to us.”

In a bid to closely align the two teams Toro Rosso will be running Red Bull gearboxes from next season.

The Toro Rosso announcement bring the number of teams powered by Renault, for 2014, to three. Caterham boss Tony Fernandes has confirmed that his team will be staying with the French company.

May 26, 2013