No agreement on the engine issue: Red Bull feels abandoned

Wednesday January 27, 2021

No agreement on the engine issue
Red Bull feels abandoned

Red Bull Racing is still in the air when it comes to engines. The Formula 1 teams did not vote as expected by Red Bull to freeze the current engine regulations from 2022. Team advisor Helmut Marko senses the competition's delaying tactics.

Actually, the ten Formula 1 teams should have voted this week on whether the development of the V6 hybrid engines will be frozen from 2022 – as Red Bull wishes. But that didn't happen at the team meeting. "The agreement that still existed on Friday was no longer available on Monday," said Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko to "Motorsport-Magazin".

At the end of last week, the Austrian in the RTL / ntv interview still firmly assumed that "the vote will be positive for us". The teams basically agree to freeze engine development as early as 2022 (one year earlier than planned anyway).

When the teams will vote again on the so-called motor freeze is open. A meeting is scheduled for Wednesday today, but a vote on the future of engines is not on the agenda. Marko fears that the competition is trying to hold Red Bull off. “That's not a wrong thought,” said the Austrian in “Motorsport-Magazin”. Because: While the other teams are certain whether they will have a Mercedes, Ferrari or Renault engine in the rear next year, Red Bull must slowly but surely know where the journey is going.

Ferrari is in no hurry

From the Red Bull's point of view, it is absolutely necessary to dispense with further development from 2022 so that the team can maintain and use their engines on their own after the withdrawal of engine partner Honda at the end of 2021. If the teams do not agree on the premature freeze, Red Bull would only be able to work with Renault. However, in an interview with RTL / ntv, Marko made it clear that this was not an option for Red Bull. In other words: Red Bull's Formula 1 future depends on the engine freeze.

The vote will not be a sure-fire success, that has become clear again. In addition to the manufacturers' tactical games, Ferrari in particular lets its muscles flex. According to media reports, Maranello ties approval to the freeze to the fact that the new, cheaper and less environmentally harmful engines that are to be used from 2026 will be the rule as early as 2025.

If the new regulations were brought forward by a year, the development stop for the current engines would also take effect a year earlier – in 2022, as required by Red Bull. But as I said: Ferrari is not (yet) in a hurry – and wants to be clear in the long term.