Red Bull, Force India, to swap engines for 2011?

Red Bull is reportedly closing on a deal to be equipped with Mercedes engines for the 2011 season.

The German newspaper TZ reports that the move would involve the currently Mercedes-powered Force India team switching to Red Bull’s current engine supplier Renault.

Red Bull has been pushing for a Mercedes deal for some time, or minimally an allowance amid the engine development ‘freeze’ to bring the underpowered Renault V8 up to speed.

The report said Mercedes may be amenable to ending its relationship with Force India due to the Silverstone based team missing scheduled payments.

It is said that F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone is involved in the negotiations, as McLaren remains in a position to veto Mercedes’ alliances with customer teams.

Championship leader Mark Webber said on Thursday that the weakness of Red Bull’s otherwise dominant RB6 is its engine power.

“We know that running on long straights is not a strength of the car and hasn’t been for quite a few years and we know why,” said the Australian.

“We can still keep up at these tracks, but I think if we had to have 17 races in a championship, we wouldn’t choose Spa and Monza to have races at,” added Webber.

© 2010, www.fantasyracings.com. All rights reserved. The total or partial reproduction of text, photographs or illustrations is not permitted in any form. Copyright by F1 Teams Media Departaments, (GMM) and (CIAM)

0 commentsback to post

Other articlesgo to homepage

	Expert thinks Lotus playing down chassis crisis(0) Lotus is grappling with a major problem less than one month before the start of the 2012 season. The former Renault team has sensationally abandoned this week’s Barcelona test and returned to its Enstone headquarters, after an unspecified chassis fault was detected on the new E20 car on Tuesday. “We’ll put the right measures in

	HRT owners eye sale to richest man Carlos Slim(0) HRT’s tumultuous history could be set to continue, if a report in an authoritative German newspaper is right. Die Welt claims Thesan Capital, the Madrid-based investment company that bought the Spanish team from Jose Ramon Carabante last year, is already on the lookout for a new buyer. Originally known as Hispania, HRT was actually founded

	Sauber’s Key headed for Le Mans with Lotus(0) Sauber’s departing technical boss James Key appears headed for Lotus. On the eve of its 2012 car launch, the Swiss team announced that it will not replace the departing Briton Key, who has accepted an offer to work in the UK. Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said it is rumoured Key is headed for Lotus.

	Reports hint at Ferrari test for Kubica in June(0) Robert Kubica’s comeback could be at the wheel of a turbocharged 2010 Ferrari, according to reports in the Italian media. It emerged this week that, despite the recent setback of a re-broken leg after an icy fall, the Pole could be only months away from attempting some laps in a F1 simulator. As for his

	Kubica able to drive again(0) Robert Kubica has returned to the wheel of a powered vehicle, according to reports in Italy. The Omnicorse website reports that the Pole, horrifically injured in a rally crash a year ago, is now recovered enough to drive a Renault Megane with an automatic gearbox. The former BMW and Renault driver re-broke his leg in