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Red Bull Racing has ruled out switching to customer Ferrari power.
As the former champions' troubled relationship with Renault continues to crumble, the speculation has been swirling around the paddock of the Red Bull Ring.
But team owner Dietrich Mateschitz played it down, arguing that being a mere 'customer' of a F1 rival "would never be good enough" to win more world titles.
After Mateschitz's comments, however, Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko had at least confirmed that an offer was made recently by Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne.
"Maybe there was a vague offer," team boss Christian Horner has now told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag.
"But Red Bull will definitely not be getting a customer engine from Ferrari.
"I do think it's unlikely that, as a customer team, you could go all the way to the top, because you would always be receiving an inferior engine," Horner added.
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Replies (3)
Login to replyscf1fan
Posts: 58
""I do think it's unlikely that, as a customer team, you could go all the way to the top, because you would always be receiving an inferior engine," Horner added." Ok, I'm confused . . . How many WCs, did "Red Bull" win with a "customer" "Infinity/Renault" engine? I guess it must have to do with how CH defines "customer?" (I think my quote finger is about to "fall" off. :-)
denis1304
Posts: 284
@scf1fan RB is not Renault customer, because they get "best PU" Renault can deliver... same as McLaren with Honda
scf1fan
Posts: 58
@DENIS1304 - It seems that by default you are correct, but I would say only by the most literal reading of the spirit of the word customer; and only in F1's current state! (Not that I exhaustively checked every option.) Currently Renault supplies the two RB teams, which makes them (sort of) more of a "partner" than a supplier. (Such as Honda is a partner with McLaren.) But part of that is by default due to the fact that other teams left Renault!! I would argue that a more reasonable reading of being a customer would be that if you don't build your own, or you don't have an exclusive agreement, you are a customer.
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And to the main direction of my point, there is no doubt that the majority of RB's wins were as a Renault customer; no matter how privileged the RB team was at the time. (Even when there was an actual Renault team! (Hope I have my timelines straight . . . ))