Red Bull Unhappy With Renault, To Take Ferrari Engines In 2016
![Red Bull drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat](https://d.ibtimes.com.au/en/full/1434791/red-bull-drivers-daniel-ricciardo-daniil-kvyat.jpg?w=736&f=87e22eca4d7533de67617562c6af26ee)
A new report claims that Red Bull is not going to renew its partnership with Renault. It is said that Red Bull will take Ferrari as their new engine supplier when their contract expires at the end of 2016.
Germany’s Sport Bild reported that Red Bull’s boss Dietrich Mateschitz and his advisor Helmut Marko believe that a partnership with Renault is no longer necessary because of the drawbacks that the team has experienced with their RB11’s engines. One of the most successful engine suppliers in Formula One (F1), Ferrari, is reportedly even willing to power Red Bull’s machine as well as its sister F1 outfit Toro Rosso.
Red Bull will get a 20 to 30 horsepower engine that is weaker than the usual Ferrari engine used in F1, should the team opt to take the Maranello-built engines. For Marko, it is not an issue. He said that a B-version of the Ferrari engine is still more powerful than an A-version of Renault. However, Marko did not make it clear if Red Bull is already negotiating with Ferrari.
Poor reliability and mechanical problems during races have plagued the Red Bull drivers, Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat on recent races. In the opening race of the season at Albert Park in Melbourne back in January, Kvyat failed to star due to a problem with the car’s gearbox. Kvyat also suffered another mishap when the left rear brake of his RB11 began to smoke after a pit stop during the third round of the F1 season at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Ricciardo, on the other hand, had his worst finish to date at the Canadian Grand Prix. He blamed his 13th-place finish to his RB11, for not being able to get any pace out of the car.
Red Bull’s best finish came in Monte Carlo where Ricciardo and Kvyat earned a fourth and fifth place finish, respectively. Ricciardo also recorded the fastest lap in the race.
Red Bull also had a poor pre-season in 2014. However, the team managed to bounce back when Ricciardo won three races. This season, the team will have a chance to earn championship points at Red Bull’s home race in Spielberg, Austria.
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