According to Adrian Newey, the greatest designer in the sport and the man behind Red Bull’s eight championships, it is because they are scared of what he and his team could do with one of their engines.
Sympathy for Red Bull in the paddock is in short supply but it is staggering that Formula One’s authorities have not managed to find a solution. 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. Newey called on the sport’s governing body to shape up its act and help solve the crisis. There is a meeting of engine manufacturers and the FIA on Thursday but no silver bullet is expected.
Todt has been criticised
“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 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.”
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