Behind every great Formula 1 team is a great engine manufacturer; in Red Bull’s case that engine manufacturer is Renault.
Supplying the world Constructor Champion of 2010 with the reliable engine that brought them glory last year and six Grand Prix wins so far this year. Despite the phenomenal track record of late Red Bull haven’t always been happy with the performance that Renault have offered them. It came to the point where they were almost ready to switch over to using Mercedes-Benz engines two years ago. The current contract will come to an end after 2012 and it is more than likely Red Bull will renew its contract with Renault for 2013 and beyond. There has also been talk about Red Bull making their own engines but after an interview with the owner of Red Bull Racing, Dietrich Mateschitz, he confirmed that building their own engine would be a last resort after exhausting all other possibilities. From Renault’s point of view, they are keen to supply four teams with engines in the coming seasons adding one more than they currently do. Given the unbridled success of Renaults engines at the moment I don’t think they will find it too hard to supply another team next season.