Horner on engines: "Renault doesn't want to supply us"

According to Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner, continuing with the Honda bikes after 2021 is 'the only option that works' for the team. In doing so, he is letting it be known that Red Bull does not want to become a Renault customer team again and Renault does not want to supply them.

Lots of time for Red Bull

"Obviously we’ve got a little bit of time. We’ve got just under 18 months to get ourselves sorted. But the more we look, there really only is one option that works and that would be to agree something with Honda where we could take on the [intellectual property] for the Honda engine", says Horner at Sky Sports F1.

"All that details needs to be fixed with Honda’s senior management. But it’s so dependent on what the regulations are going to be. It’s absolutely fundamental that there has to be an engine freeze with these power units until the introduction of the new engines", the Brit continues.

Dangerous position of F1

According to Horner, Honda's departure should be a wake-up call for Formula 1 because there are now only three suppliers left in the sport. "That’s a very precarious place for the sport to be. So that’s why the governing body really needs to take control of this."

According to Horner, there is no longer any option of becoming a customer of Mercedes, Ferrari or Renault. "All focus is on plan A", says Horner. "Toto’s made Mercedes’ case very clear. Obviously Ferrari have got their own issues that they’re dealing with. Renault don’t really want to supply us. Their aspirations as a team obviously have changed. It’s inconvenient to supply a team like Red Bull, we’re not a standard customer team, we’re not a small team."