Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsRenault

Renault should seek 'help from Mercedes'

Renault should seek help from Mercedes and be trying to make its relationship with Red Bull work, according to Bob Fernley.

Red Bull is threatening to quit F1 after ending its partnership with Renault a year early having been frustrated with a lack of competitiveness from the French manufacturer's power unit. Renault looks set to take over Lotus and return as a manufacturer, but it is still facing a power deficit.

With Red Bull's options running out after Mercedes decided against supplying it with power units, Fernley says he has little sympathy for the four-time constructors' champions, while also hinting Mercedes helped Ferrari improve its own performance over the winter.

“I think there has been mistakes made by both Renault and Red Bull and they should sit down together and try to work it out," Fernley told F1i. "The Renault engine is capable of moving on to a much better performance unit a la Ferrari. Maybe a bit of help from Mercedes as Ferrari got or something and they could be there. So I think that was perhaps an error on their part."

With Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz already having confirmed the Renault partnership will end after this season, Bernie Ecclestone admits he is facing a difficult task to keep Red Bull in F1.

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.