F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Tost no fan of Red Bull renewing partnership with Renault

AlphaTauri F1 boss Franz Tost says a renewed association between Red Bull and engine supplier Renault from 2022 would likely quash the former's championship chances in the future.

Red Bull is pushing for a mandatory freeze on engine development from 2022 to allow it to take over Honda's engine program.

However, discussions are still ongoing among F1's manufacturers over the implementation of development freeze. While Mercedes sees a stats quo as a "sensible proposition" and Ferrari has given a conditional green light to a freeze, Renault has expressed its reticence over the concept.

The proposal is set to be debated again this week. But if Renault remains inflexible, the French manufacturer would then likely be required by the FIA to supply its power unit to Red Bull's teams from 2022, a prospect that hardly excites Tost.

"Renault have a works team. I can hardly imagine we would get a power unit with which we could compete successfully in races," Tost told Motorsport-Magazin.com.

"You have to assume Red Bull and [Red Bull owner] Mateschitz have different demands. They want to compete in the World Championship. They need the appropriate power unit material."

Pressed for time, Red Bull urgently needs to see its power unit requirements for 2022 clarified as soon as possible as next year's car is on the design board at Milton Keynes, a fact that isn't lost on Red Bull's rivals who continue to play the waiting game according to Tost.

"This is the usual game of the manufacturers who are in the lead,"said the Austrian.

"Even if they keep saying they agree, basically they don’t agree and they just want to buy time."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Horner weighs in on explosive 2026 F1 engine controversy

Christian Horner has waded into Formula 1’s latest technical storm, addressing the growing controversy over…

1 hour ago

Newey: AI has been shaping F1 ‘for a long time’

Aston Martin’s chief architect and team principal Adrian Newey believes Formula 1’s latest buzzword is…

3 hours ago

Norris gets a pole-position welcome at old primary school

Fresh from pre-season testing and with a world title now stitched onto his racing overalls,…

4 hours ago

Two on the trot for Laffite and Ligier in Brazil

On this day in 1979, Jacques Laffite won the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos as…

5 hours ago

Russell hungry for ‘head-to-head’ title clash with Verstappen

George Russell is not hiding his appetite for a showdown this season in F1. In…

6 hours ago

Vowles confident Williams won’t start F1 season ‘on the back foot’

Williams may have missed the first public glimpse of Formula 1’s bold new era, but…

7 hours ago