Ever since it got out that Renault could be considering returning to F1 as a ‘Works’ team, there have been plenty speculations as to which team would make the most sense for them to acquire.
According to Autosport, it appears that Scuderia Toro Rosso are the front runners, since acquiring Force India or Lotus would be more complicated because Renault would have to take over their debt as well.
However, Toro Rosso are debt-free and would make the most sense for Renault, especially since they already have a long lasting relationship together.
Red Bull boss Helmut Marko told reporters in Melbourne that “We might sell STR, but we do not have to.” which is code for “It could go either way”. Which it could.
However it’s unclear what would happen to Red Bull‘s junior program if the sale went through, despite Marko saying that “Even if Renault takes over STR, we will have cooperation.”
Would they really? Would Renault sacrifice their chances at competing for a title just so Red Bull Racing can keep bringing young drivers through the ranks, starting with STR?
Renault F1’s managing director Cyril Abiteboul wasn’t as open to discussing the issue with reporters in Melbourne, saying that “The priority is to get it right for Red Bull and Toro Rosso” – which is something they really have to focus on this year by the looks of things, especially with Daniel Ricciardo’s RB11 lacking in performance in Australia.