Red Bull set to turn to Ferrari for 2016 engines

Red Bull are believed to have terminated their engine deal with Renault for 2016 and are expected to be powered by Ferrari next season, after Mercedes decided against becoming their rival's power providers.

Red Bull's partnership with Renault has disintegrated since the advent of the sport's new turbo era and it's believed that the former world champions, exasperated with the inadequacies of Renault's underpowered and unreliable units, have issued a formal quit notice on a contract which was due to run until the end of 2016.

However, Mercedes are understood to have decided against becoming Red Bull's future power providers after determining that the cons of any such agreement outweighed the pros.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has confirmed that the former world champions are now looking at other options.

"As far as we're concerned the matter of Mercedes is closed. The focus for us is now elsewhere," he was quoted as saying by Bild in Germany. 

Mercedes' world champion driver Lewis Hamilton had told Sky Sports at Monza that he thought it would be unwise for the Anglo/German team to supply one of their biggest rivals.

"If we're serious about winning world championships, probably not," Hamilton replied when asked if his team should bail out Red Bull. "We're here to win so we don't really need it. There's no financial benefit really in it, so I think we're good where we are."

Mercedes had previously softened their stance in deference to the damage Red Bull's exit would do to the sport. But their resistance now leaves Ferrari as the only other realistic option next year given that Honda, the grid's fourth power manufacturers, have endured a wretched comeback to the sport since reuniting with McLaren.

Christian Horner, the Red Bull team boss, was spotted in talks with Maurizio Arrivabene, his Ferrari counterpart, and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone at Monza and the prospect of the teams becoming partners has gained significant traction after Arrivabene told reporters he would have no hesitation in supplying Horner's outfit.

"Red Bull have big names, with Adrian Newey as chief designer, and it is easy to think if you give them the engine they will build a scary chassis, which means they will be really competitive. My team, my engineers and aerodynamicists know their jobs. For that reason I don't have a problem and competition is nice when you have a stronger competitor," a bullish Arrivabene told the Guardian.

"This doesn't mean tomorrow morning we will give our engines to Red Bull but I don't see any problem to give our engine to any other team or be scared of the competition before they start. This is not the right spirit of competition, of what Ferrari represents. We fight with everybody."

The framework of next year's engine partnerships is clouded, however, by the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Lotus's future. A winding up petition issued in the High Court by Revenue and Customs has been adjourned until September 18, the Friday of the upcoming Singapore GP, and the wait goes on for Renault to complete their long-anticipated takeover of the financially-crippled Enstone team.

Lotus are currently supplied by Mercedes but their transformation into a Renault 'works' team, in effect taking back the engines they last used in 2014 and which Red Bull have shunned, would leave a vacancy to be filled on Mercedes' roster, with backmarkers Manor understandably keen to take a supply of the field-leading units.

Red Bull in talks

Red Bull admit they have been speaking to other manufacturers about 2016

Teams and engines: How the 2016 grid could look
Mercedes-Mercedes
Williams-Mercedes
Force India-Mercedes
Manor-Mercedes
Lotus/Renault-Renault
McLaren-Honda
Ferrari-Ferrari
Red Bull-Ferrari
Toro Rosso-Ferrari
Sauber-Ferrari
Haas-Ferrari