Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko says Toro Rosso could sport a yellow livery in the future to quench engine supplier Renault’s thirst for more visibility in the sport, reports Formula1.com.
Renault Sport F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul claimed last weekend in Sepang that the French manufacturer is currently “looking at a lot of options” to ensure maximum return on investment in Formula One.
Among the possibilities, a potential Toro Rosso buy-out has been on the cards for some time as Renault seeks to increase its F1 presence with the return of a bona-fide works team. The Faenza-based squad used to have Ferrari engines in the back of their cars but eventually followed sister outfit Red Bull and joined the Renault fold in 2014.
“Renault are spending a lot of money on this power unit – not as much as Mercedes but a significant amount – and are confronted with the same issues that we have: their F1 involvement has to pay off,” Marko told the official F1 website.
“Add to that that Renault feels under-represented on the marketing side so there are considerations to either buy Toro Rosso or more likely give them a yellow livery to have a better marketing platform. But of course the figures have to correspond.”
Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost declared in Malaysia that he would very much welcome a takeover by Renault, labelling the move as a “fantastic opportunity to make the next step forward”.
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