Red Bull have finally brought an end to months of speculation about their future with the announcement that they will run a TAG Heuer branded Renault power unit in 2016.
The four-times Constructors’ Champions revealed the long-speculated deal yesterday, just 12 hours after Renault confirmed their return to the sport as a constructor.
After a season of struggle with Renault’s power unit, Red Bull had looked to break their contract with the French car company a year early, believing that they would secure a power unit from elsewhere.
What unfolded, however, was a dire situation.
Mercedes and Ferrari refused to give Red Bull a current specification engine for fear of losing race wins to a strong rival, with Ferrari only offering a 2015 specification engine to the Milton Keynes-based team. McLaren vetoed Red Bull’s approach for a Honda power unit after coming to the conclusion that the Japanese manufacturer would be unable to expand their facilities in time to accommodate a second team on such short notice.
Team Principal Christian Horner was forced to go back to Renault to try and rebuild bridges – resulting in the heavily revised relationship.
The result is that Renault have expanded their collaboration with British engine manufacturer Ilmor, who will aid the development of the power unit for both the returning works outfit and Red Bull.
After luring TAG Heuer away from long-term partners McLaren, Red Bull will use the Swiss luxury watchmakers as the namesake of their power unit. It is believed that, in return, TAG Heuer will pay the increased purchase fee charged by Renault to allow the deal to take place.
TAG Heuer have been involved in a similar arrangement before, taking the engine naming rights of several championship-winning McLarens in the 1980s.
In a press release, the team revealed that their 2016 challenger will be called the Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer RB12.
“TAG Heuer and Red Bull are two transcendent brands which have both a passion for racing and a drive to do things differently, and this unique collaboration is further evidence of that.” Team Principal Christian Horner said of the deal.
“TAG Heuer has been an icon in the world of Formula One for many years and we’re delighted that they’ve chosen to continue their association with the sport by teaming up with us. Our shared values of innovation and a desire to stand out from the crowd make this one of the most exciting partnerships in F1.”
It has not been revealed how long this arrangement will last.
