Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner says he would like to see the back of Formula 1’s current power units as soon as possible, and would introduce a revised system next year if he could
Formula 1 brought in 1.6 litre V6 power units in 2014, but Red Bull-Renault has struggled to grasp the current engine formula, and has not fought for the championship, picking up the occasional win.
Formula 1 is set to implement new regulations for 2021, the content of which will be discussed next week, but Horner suggested the sport should accelerate such plans.
“For me, these engines have done nothing but damage Formula 1: they’ve done nothing to contribute to the sport,” Horner explained to Motorsport Monday.
“They’ve taken away the sound; the passion; they’ve added too much complexity; they’ve become far removed from road car technology.
“They’re effectively turning into diesel engines in some cases – and I can’t see anything that they’ve contributed that’s been positive, so the sooner it goes, the better.
“Unfortunately there’s a contract between the existing manufacturers and the FIA that guarantees the engine will be in place until 2020.
“I can’t see there being sufficient motive amongst all the manufacturers to get rid of this technology and this power unit before 2021.”
When Horner’s comments were put to Ferrari chief Maurizio Arrivabene, he replied: “In some way or the other, we are always blocking Red Bull or the other way around, in the mind of Christian.
“First of all, we do engines so we can talk about engines. It’s our job and it’s our business. It’s not a question of Mercedes or Ferrari blocking here or blocking there.
“The question… it’s very, very simple. I’ve said many, many times that our vision of the future on the engines after 2021 is very simple.
“It’s reducing the costs, it’s keeping the same engine architecture and keeping the performance, improving the performance. Now, it’s very, very simple.
“Normally you have the simple equation: what and how? What we want to do? We want to cut the costs or to reduce the costs. We want to enhance the show.
“How to do it is something that we are going to discuss in the next few days because everybody, they have their own ideas and for sure it’s not Ferrari or Mercedes who is driving the show.
“But for sure, they are the people who are manufacturing the engines.”
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