Bernie Ecclestone, the sport’s supremo, said over the weekend in Russia the situation was “sorted”, but this was news to Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal. Jean Todt, the FIA President, was not even in Sochi and came under fire for failing to try and broker a deal.
“We’re possibly going to be forced out of Formula One – Mercedes and Ferrari have refused to supply us out of fear,” Newey told Reuters.
Red Bull’s team in discussion
“Red Bull should not be put in a position where they’re only there to make up the numbers. They [Mercedes and Ferrari] are concerned we would beat them with their own engine.
“Within the regulations, the engines can be balanced somewhat so that there’s less of a performance disparity then there is at the moment, but the FIA has been unwilling to do this.
“We need to get back to the position where all teams have access to an engine which is there or thereabouts – if it’s a couple of per cent behind then okay, but when it’s 10 per cent behind it’s too big a gap.”
Could Red Bull really be set to quit F1?
Newey has designed championship-winning cars with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, but has taken a step back from the sport this year, frustrated at the restrictive state of the regulations. But whatever chassis and his team at Milton Keynes come up with, they are no use without a competitive engine.
Ferrari have offered to supply Toro Rosso engines, but not Red Bull. Dietrich Mateschitz, the billionaire owner, said he only wants to be in the sport if they can have a competitive engine. Newey says the deadline for sorting out a deal is approaching fast, as the car needs to be designed around the engine.