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Mercedes has ruled out supplying Red Bull and AlphaTauri with engines from 2022 onwards following Honda’s announcement that it will withdraw from Formula 1 at the end of next season.
Given Mercedes already has deals with three customer teams for 2021 onwards – Williams, Aston Martin and McLaren – on top of its works operation, its motorsport boss Toto Wolff says it does not have the capacity to supply any more teams.
He replied “no, for various reasons, the main being we’re supplying four teams including us” when asked about the possibility of supplying the ex-Honda teams.
“We are almost in a state that we can’t make power units for all of us, so there is no capacity,” Wolff added.
“But I have no doubt that [Red Bull motorsport advisor] Helmut [Marko] will have a ‘Plan B’, as he said, and probably doesn’t need to rely on any of the current power unit suppliers.”
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto was more equivocal, saying that while it is currently not considering Red Bull it would do so should it be asked.
Currently, Ferrari supplies two customer teams – Alfa Romeo and Haas – on top of its works team and F1’s rules would not compel it to supply either or both of Red Bull’s teams unless it chose to do so.
Ferrari did supply Red Bull with engines in 2006 (pictured above), but that deal was then moved across to what was then called Toro Rosso to accommodate a switch to Renault for the senior team.
But Binotto also warned that time is short for such a deal and hinted that Ferrari could not give Red Bull the attention it would require.
“Obviously, we are not considering it, it’s something which we need to start considering now,” said Binotto.
“First, I think it will be down to Red Bull eventually to look at us and to ask for a supply.
“They are a great team, no doubt. I think that supplying them, a lot of energy somehow is required.
“But it’s something on which we need to consider, on which we have no position yet. We certainly need to take time to think up and have a decision.
“I think timing wise, it’s very little time because we need to organise ourselves. 2022 is just here behind tomorrow.
“It was sudden news from Honda and now we need to consider something which was not even considered a few days ago.”
“I think we are very far in the pecking order before they call us again” :: Cyril Abiteboul
Renault is the most likely of the existing manufacturers to supply Red Bull and AlphaTauri with engines as it is due to supply only its own Alpine-branded works team in 2022.
A formula in the sporting regulations compels teams to supply a certain number of teams based on the available manufacturers and number of entrants, and in the present scenario it would compel Renault to pick up the teams that had lost Honda if they had no alternatives.
“I can confirm that I have not been contacted by Red Bull in relation to engine supply,” said Renault F1 chief Cyril Abiteboul.
“I don’t think it’s a question of whether we are open or not open.
“We know the regulation, when you are a participant to the sport you have to accept the rules, it’s part of the sporting regulation, so we know what that is.
“We also know that it tells in terms of timing, as anyone can check in terms of sporting regulations, there is still quite a bit of time before we get there.
“But as Toto has said, I can’t imagine that they don’t have a ‘Plan A’ or ‘Plan B’, and I think we are very far in the pecking order before they call us again.”
