Red Bull ‘must stay’ in F1 - Lauda

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Niki Lauda says Red Bull “must stay” in Formula One as uncertainty over its future in the sport intensifies.

Following numerous quit threats, Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz said ahead of the Russian Grand Prix weekend he will have to make a final decision by the end of October. Red Bull is unhappy at its inability to receive a competitive power unit, having terminated its Renault contract a year early and been turned down by Mercedes.

While Ferrari may still provide Red Bull with engines, Lauda - who often spends time with Christian Horner and Helmut Marko - admits he is unsure what the solution is for the team.

“I’ve no idea what they do,” Lauda told F1i. “They should stay, the most important thing is they must stay.”

Red Bull’s Daniil Kvyat believes recent results - including his fifth place in Russia - show team owner Dietrich Mateschitz the potential for the team to win again with the right equipment remains strong.

“I hope that we are showing that probably with not the most competitive power unit we are still squeezing out some good points almost every race,” Kvyat said. “We are fighting, we are showing good pace and we are just missing something little. Red Bull’s style is to win championships and I’m sure we will soon be back to that path.”

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