Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has rejected Renault’s deadline of May to decide whether they will remain a customer of the French manufacturer in 2019.
This season is the last in the current contract between the two parties who have had a tumultuous relationship in recent years with Renault’s inability to close the performance and reliability gap to Mercedes often cited by Red Bull as the reason for their lack of competitiveness.
A previous attempt to split in 2015 failed due to having no alternatives but this time it is different with Honda supplying junior team Toro Rosso and the Japanese engine showing great improvement during testing.
“Honda has had a fantastic start with Toro Rosso,” Horner said. “Obviously, we’re in a good position to keep an eye on their progress in the first half of the year. We’re going to follow it with great interest.”
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Those comments aren’t helping to heal any Renault wounds with managing director Cyril Abiteboul issuing the May deadline to Red Bull with some suggesting the Milton Keynes outfit may be left with no choice but to switch to Honda next season.
“What we understand is that May is when you have to give an indication to the FIA, but that does not mean a commitment,” Horner told Spain’s El Confidencial.
“It will be decided at the end of the summer. That’s the realistic timing of when the decisions have to be made.”
