Cyril Abiteboul says Renault will comply with the F1 regulations to provide engines to Red Bull Racing if they request for it.
With Red Bull and AlphaTauri left with no power unit suppliers from 2022 F1 season, they are left with only Renault as a logical partner, with the French manufacturer having no teams to supply to apart from themselves from 2021 season onward.
Their current partner McLaren will switch to Mercedes in 2021, who will have their third F1 team, to make it four outfits running the same power unit. Besides them, Ferrari has Haas and Alfa Romeo Racing, both of whom are certain to stay on with them.
As per the current regulations, a manufacturer can supply three teams and the FIA can call upon them to do so if they have no customers in their pocket. It is unknown if the regulations will be tweaked to remove the maximum of three after Honda’s departure.
With four manufacturers, they had set that limit but with Honda’s departure, the regulations may change if needed. For now, though, both Ferrari and Renault have the space to fill, but more so with the French F1 manufacturer.
Despite some of the bad blood between Red Bull and Renault, who ended their deal in a rather unceremonious way, its chief Abiteboul doesn’t see it as a problem as the Frenchman states that they will be happy to comply to the regulations if asked to do so.
“We know the regulations and we would comply with the regulations,” Abiteboul told Reuters. “I guess that it is only at this point in time that will be discussed if Red Bull fail to find a solution, which I really hope will not be the situation.
“When you participate in a sport you need to accept the obligations that are associated. As far as we are concerned, it’s part of the sporting regulations and we would comply to this obligation,” summed up Abiteboul, who revealed that Red Bull did not make any contact since the announcement from Honda was made but added that there is plenty of time.
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