Renault and Ferrari give Red Bull wings!!!
Red Bull has finally confirmed the engine suppliers for both its F1 teams – Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso – for next season and beyond.
Last season, Ferrari supplied the engines to the main Red Bull team, while the second squad, Toro Rosso, was powered by engines from independent supplier Cosworth. Ferrari was hoping to power both teams for next season, and keep Red Bull Racing, with veteran drivers David Coulthard and Mark Webber already confirmed, from posing too great a challenge to the boys in red. But newly-crowned Ferrari CEO Jean Todt can't always get what he wants, as Red Bull switches to Renault power for 2007.
Toro Rosso (formerly Minardi) will become even more authentically Italian, motivated by Ferrari power for 2007 and 2008 with an option for 2009. STR is run by former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger, but struggles to escape the back of the field. Last year the team also fielded Italian driver Tonio Liuzzi, but they've yet to announce their line-up for next season.
Had Ferrari secured deals with both Red Bull teams, their engines would be in over a third of the cars on the grid next year, including their own as well as the Spyker cars which switch from Toyota to Ferrari power for next season. Maranello already secured special dispensation from the FIA to supply engines to two teams, and that should be enough to gain extra testing data and support from the back of the field as Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa fight for the title.
[Source: GrandPrix.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Toy Yoda 2:22PM (11/01/2006)
I don't know much F1, but why would Ferrari supply the motor to RedBull, when Ferrari itself is a competitor in F1? Isn't that like giving your best weapons to your enemy? Is it just for the money? Will Ferrari basically supply them with "last years" model?
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James Boswell 2:56PM (11/01/2006)
'last years' engine is also next years engine, being that the FIA has instigated an engine freeze the thing is that formula 1 cars are SOOOOOOOOO dependent on aerodynamics that selling another team your engine only gives them a leg up if their aero package is competitive, meanwhile it DOES give Ferrari more feedback on how their engine performs than they could with the testing they're actually allowed to do themselves.
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Mr_Oak 4:27PM (11/01/2006)
Well long time F1 fan here, here is the skinny. The engines that Ferrari sold to Red Bull and Toro Rosso (same owner but 2 separate teams). These were the outdated V10 motors, which were strangled by FIA mandated air restrictors and rev limiters. Current version is a less powerful V8.
Love the sport, but it is very cannibalistic, these folks will eat their young. Two thirds of the field, don't have a snowball's chance in hell to ever win a race. It literally takes an act of god (rain slicked track took out half of the field) for one of the back markers to break through and win a race.
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Cypher09 4:47PM (11/01/2006)
Mr_Oak your not even close with your run down on the engine situation. Red Bull ran the 2006 season with the same Ferrari V8 that was in the factory car and Toro Rosso ran with Cosworth Rev. Limited V10 not Ferrari V10s.
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Mr_Oak 5:05PM (11/01/2006)
Yer right, forgot that Ford (engine) stayed after Jag bailed.
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