The Mercedes board have rejected a proposal to supply rival team Red Bull Racing with their power-trains.
Following the British Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing had been rumoured to be chasing a deal with Mercedes.
Red Bull Racing’s future in Formula One appears in the balance, they hold a contract with current engine partner Renault until the end of the 2016 Formula One World Championship, but it would seem that Red Bull are attempting to break that contract early and dump Renault ahead of next season.
Renault are said to have been considering options from both ends of the spectrum, they’ve discussed withdrawing from Formula One entirely, or they could return to the sport as a manufacturer.
Talks regarding a buy-out of Toro Rosso and Force India have both done the rounds, but it now appears that they will be buying a majority shareholding of Lotus.
Red Bull Racing have held a long standing partnership with Renault, but if they were to go in a different direction that would see them being a customer of either Ferrari, Honda or Mercedes.
Unless they could persuade Audi to get involved in Formula One and that rumour has gone very quiet.
As Mercedes remain the best power-unit on the grid, unsurprisingly Red Bull Racing have been linked with doing a deal with the German manufacturer.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff appeared open to the idea, not on the basis of competition but on what was best for the sport.
‘From a team perspective you have to have a no-prisoners approach and look in an opportunistic approach, But it’s also a matter of what we can do to make F1 function.’ he told Sky Sports.
Two-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton was far less sympathetic.
‘I think if we’re serious about winning world championships, probably not [wise to supply Red Bull].’ he said.
‘Red Bull is a great team and it’s like giving Ferrari our engine, We’re here to win so we don’t really need it. There’s no financial benefit really in it, so I think we’re good where we are.’
It would seem that the Mercedes board have fallen on Hamilton’s side of the argument.
According to Autosport Magazine Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche has come to this decision after attending the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
The thinking behind the move is Mercedes has waited 60 years to find itself in such a position back at the top of F1 the report read adding that Mercedes has no intention of helping out a team with Red Bull’s resources become a serious challenger to its success.
This now leaves Red Bull Racing set to approach Ferrari, according to many in the paddock this approach is yet to be made.
‘Inevitably it is my job to talk with everybody, So you do your necessary due diligence.’ Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told Sky Sports.
Mercedes board reject supplying Red Bull engines
