While F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has been struggling to find ways to keep Red Bull from pulling out, the Milton-Keynes based team still hasn’t made up its mind.
Ecclestone even went as far as to warn Red Bull by saying that they could be brought before a judge if they decide to terminate their commitment to Formula 1 before the year 2020.
As if trying to anticipate further issues, Ecclestone pointed out that all Red Bull could do was to simply stand up in court and say “Yes, we have a commitment, we do, but we haven’t got an engine,” while his argument would be “You signed the contract to compete. You should have made sure when you signed that contract that you had an engine. Your team was supposed to do this.”
It’s hard to argue with his reasoning, though if you’re Red Bull, you’re definitely just as or even more worried about under-performing for several seasons in a row, than you are about facing the consequences of pulling out before your contract with Formula 1 expires.
One solution is of course to bring in an independent engine supplier – which would obviously be helpful for the sport but not so much for Red Bull in terms of being able to compete for a title any time soon.
“If Ferrari only agreed to supply one customer engine, Mercedes only agreed to supply one, nobody would have any engines. That’s exactly what the situation is. We need an independent engine supplier. I’ve been on about this now for a year and a half,” argued Ecclestone.
Easier said than done, of course, and these things take time. The issue will most likely be settled, at least for next year; rumors have it there are talks between FIA and Ilmor for its Indycar turbocharged V6s, but that remains to be confirmed.
Story references: planetf1
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