Renault Issues F1 Quit Threat, Christian Horner Admits Red Bull May Follow
By Bleacherreport Mar 27, 2015
Renault's Cyril Abiteboul has confirmed the French manufacturer is considering withdrawing from Formula One after a difficult start to the 2015 season.
Renault currently supplies engines to Red Bull and its sister team Toro Rosso after Caterham dropped out of the sport and Lotus switched to the now dominant Mercedes motor.
Daniel Ricciardo was the highest finishing Renault-powered driver during the opening race of the campaign in Australia, with Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz coming ninth. His team-mate, Max Verstappen, failed to finish during his long-awaited debut, while Daniil Kyvat didn't get off the starting grid.
Ross Land/Associated Press
Abiteboul suggests Renault will remove its product from the competition if such troubles risk impacting the brand's name, reported prior to the Malaysian Grand Prix
We are looking at a lot of options, including getting out of Formula 1 if it's bad for Renault's reputation.
We think we are a credible player in the sport but you need to think about what else we need to do on top of what we already are. But right now, the focus remains on the engine.
However, Renault may be interested in purchasing a team and fighting for the constructors' championship again. Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost said this would be a "fantastic opportunity" for his Italian group. "To be owned by a manufacturer would be exactly the step forward which the team needs," he said, per BBC.
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Both Lotus chief executive officer Matthew Carter and Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley denied they have spoken to Renault about the possibility of a takeover
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko recently admitted owner Dietrich Mateschitz may withdraw from the sport if he "loses his passion," . Team boss Christian Horner believes Renault exiting would go a long way to making this happen, reported by Sky:
We could ultimately find ourselves without an engine supplier, should Renault choose to withdraw from Formula 1. Mercedes wouldn’t supply Red Bull with an engine and it’s unlikely we’d be in a position to take a Ferrari engine.
You could actually find yourself forced out of the sport and I think as with any company, Red Bull reviews its return on investment. Is Formula 1 delivering for Red Bull as a brand?
There are some worrying signs when we see races like we saw in Melbourne.
Andrew Benson of BBC Sport provided further comment from Horner, who isn't looking for Red Bull to turn provider:
Ross Land/Associated Press
Mercedes' dominance appears to have backed Renault, Red Bull and the like into a corner. So many recent F1 seasons haven't remained competitive throughout the entire schedule, an occurrence which is potentially damaging for the discipline and teams who struggle to make an impression.
Red Bull and Renault know what it's like to be at the top of the game, so it's perhaps even more difficult now Mercedes' engine is streaks ahead. Abiteboul, Horner and even Mateschitz sound as if they're on the verge of being defeated, something which could further shake the sport up before too long.