Former Red Bull driver David Coulthard believes the team’s decision to switch from Renault to Honda engines for 2019 was a no-brainer and sees no negative impact.
Given where the Japanese manufacturer was during their three years with McLaren, most would have considered the thought of a top three outfit taking the risk as preposterous a year ago.
However, as relations with long-time partner Renault decline, the progress Honda has made with junior team Toro Rosso this year was cited as the reason for taking the gamble and Coulthard agrees it is one worth taking.
“I think given where they are in terms of the relationship with Renault, the uncertainty over what happens beyond 2020, I don’t see any downside for them,” the Scot told Crash.net.
“Renault has a great history in Formula 1 but whilst they try to build up their team to be a Renault-Renault world championship, are they really going to be happy to be winning in the back of a Red Bull?”
The ex-McLaren man also believes the French manufacturer has become stuck in their effort to close the performance and reliability gap to their rivals at Mercedes and Ferrari.
“Nobody knows what the future holds but if you use all the same ingredients all the time you get the same cake,” he claimed. “If you want a different outcome you’ve got to change something in the process.”
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Coulthard also believes Red Bull was in the absolute best position to determine the likely success of a Honda partnership given their association through their sister squad.
“With Toro Rosso, they will know the top data, so they will know what power is travelling out to the wheels of the car and they’ll know what they’ve got from the Renault,” the current Channel 4 pundit continued.
“No-one will know how the Renault will develop, no-one will know how the Honda will develop but you look at the development plans, you look at the budgets that have been spent and you assume that if continue along the profile that they have in the past, it will get you to a certain point.”
