ABU DHABI: Adrian Newey has accused Red Bull’s rivals of being afraid to supply them with engines for 2016 and warned there was a real risk of the four times world champions walking away from Formula One.
“We’re possibly going to be forced out of Formula One – Mercedes and Ferrari have refused to supply us out of fear,” Newey, the sport’s most successful designer, said in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
The Briton, whose cars have won 10 constructors’ titles, also criticised the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) for allowing Ferrari and Mercedes to establish a de facto duopoly. Red Bull, using Newey-designed cars, won four successive constructor and driver titles with Sebastian Vettel and Renault engines in 2010-13.
Renault have struggled to be competitive in the new V6 turbo hybrid era that came in last year, however, while Mercedes have been dominant and clinched a second straight constructors’ crown in Russia on Sunday. Red Bull are currently fourth.
“Unfortunately, our relationship with Renault is pretty terminal – there’s been too much of a marriage breakdown, so we have no engine,” said Newey, who was in Abu Dhabi as head judge for the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy.
“Improvement is needed, but there has been no clear direction on how to achieve that,” he said, adding Renault had rebuffed Red Bull’s attempts to help improve the engine and also bring in outside expert help.