Williams Believe Red Bull Are “Fearful Of Something” Over Disputed Engine Demands

Reports of Honda’s potential exit from the sport came as a shock to many in the F1 community. More so to Red Bull, who have enjoyed a largely successful time with the Japanese maker’s power units.

It raised questions about who Red Bull’s next engine partners would be. And to date, there are several options that the Austrian-licensed outfit could choose from; however, they are yet to make a final decision.

There have been rumors about Red Bull proposing a freeze on engine development from 2022 onwards. What’s more, they threaten to leave F1 if these demands remain unmet.

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Red Bull need to be a bit more explicit, says Simon Roberts

This reported proposal will undoubtedly be met with mixed reactions from the other teams. While some might be open to discussing this, others would object as growth in performance starts with redeveloping the engines annually.

Speaking in the official pre-race press conference, Williams’ Acting Team Principal Simon Roberts stated, “I don’t know. But there’s not that much change possible under the regulations currently, so maybe there’s something that Red Bull know about or are fearful of.

“I don’t know. They will have to be a bit more explicit,” concluded Roberts in his comments.

Engine development freeze a matter for debate

The discussion supposedly hinges on where the team stands regarding their objectives and long-term ambitions. Teams like Ferrari will probably object, as they would want to claw their way out of the grave they find themselves in.

Red Bull have thought about taking over the intellectual property of Honda’s engines. However, using re-badged power units will, of course, require a certain level of financial investment.

And perhaps what Roberts’ reference of ‘fearful’ might mean here, is their reluctance to shelling big bucks on redeveloping the engines every year. Especially in a pandemic environment, where sporting entities’ finances have been impacted and are suffering losses.

Regardless, more details will be unearthed with the passage of time. At the moment, however, Red Bull have a host of decisions to make which could impact their future in the sport.