Renault has given Red Bull a little more time to consider who will supply their engines in 2019, despite an FIA deadline coming in one week.
By May 15, all Formula 1 teams must make clear to the governing body which manufacturer they will use for the following year unless an agreement is in place for a delay between the FIA and in this case Renault.
Last week, the managing director Cyril Abiteboul appeared to stand his ground on the subject, suggesting Red Bull would have to adhere to that deadline, despite the Milton Keynes outfit claiming they could wait until August.
Though the desire for that much time appears unlikely, the French brand has at least given their often critical customer some leeway.
“After twelve years together marked by many wins, we would be ready to continue with them,” Abiteboul told France’s Auto-Hebdo.
“The number one issue is timing. We won’t be able to guarantee the availability of a Renault engine for 2019 beyond May 31. We were nice, we gave them two extra weeks.”
Talks are officially underway between Red Bull and Honda, with whom advisor Helmut Marko has been impressed by their progress since splitting with McLaren and teaming up with Toro Rosso at the start of the year.
