The rule severely punishes the teams and drivers but also the spectators, who will not have the opportunity to watch stars such as Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo fighting in the main pack. “It’s likely we’ll take a penalty here,” Ricciardo said.
Just days after a spectacular Le Mans 24 Hours, won by Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg, Alonso admitted he was disappointed not to have been allowed to take part and was interested in a drive in the famous endurance race for next year.
Fernando Alonso is braced for another struggle in Austria
The Spaniard also said Sunday’s race could be “even worse” than the last in Canada, when both McLarens retired with mechanical trouble midway through the race.
Alonso added: “[These are] important days ahead for us. I’m quite optimistic with the things that are coming to the car and for the near future but as I said in terms of result it will not change too much this weekend or probably it will be even worse.”
If relations between McLaren and Honda are strained but stable, just a few months into their partnership, then the relationship between Red Bull and Renault is beyond repair. Mateschitz has always had a love affair with F1 but he is running out of patience, particularly with the French manufacturer.
In an interview with Germany’s Speedweek magazine yesterday, the 71-year-old said of Renault: “Beside taking our time and money, they have destroyed our enjoyment and motivation. Because no driver and no chassis in this world can compensate for this horsepower deficit.
“Now we have used our fourth engine, which means we are penalised on the grid. How many more things have to happen before we lose all enjoyment?”
Red Bull are fast running out of options for how to get back to the front. There has been speculation that they may look to broker a deal to use Ferrari engines, but this would place them at a competitive disadvantage. They tried their best to persuade Audi to come into Formula One but their advances have been firmly rebuffed.
There were also worrying signs for the event itself at the Red Bull Ring, with suggestions that ticket sales are significantly down on last season. 2014 was the first year back at the circuit, and was a sell-out with 90,000 people in attendance. But for Sunday’s race there are fears ticket sales have been as low as 50,000, even with the neighbouring German Grand Prix cancelled.