Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko confirms that Toro Rosso will return to the Ferrari fold in 2016 and retain Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz following their impressive rookie seasons.
The Faenza-based outfit used engines from Maranello between 2007 and 2013 before switching to Renault last year. But in the wake of Red Bull’s spectacular fallout with the French manufacturer, Toro Rosso was also forced to look for a new power supply in 2016, with Ferrari soon emerging as the most likely option.
With Red Bull announcing on Friday morning that it would use TAG Heuer-branded Renault power units next year, its junior squad should follow suit with its own announcement very shortly.
Asked by Red Bull publication Speedweek whether the Toro Rosso/Ferrari deal has been given the go-ahead, Marko replied: “Yes, everything was clear, we only had to wait for everything to be implemented.”
The small Italian squad is expected to race current spec Ferrari power units, especially after a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on Wednesday cleared any potential hurdle in the regulations in that realm.
Marko, whose core task at Red Bull is to oversee driver progress, also adds that there will be no change in the team’s line-up.
“We have confirmed all four of our drivers for 2016, namely Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat at Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz at Toro Rosso.”
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