Bernie: Ron vetoed Honda-Red Bull deal

Renault, the last of the four power unit suppliers to dip into their allocation of engine development tokens, said they are confident about Red Bull’s and Toro Rosso’s potential this weekend regardless of whether either team takes on the revised unit.

“They somehow… made a commitment to Ron that he had a veto and he doesn’t want Red Bull”, said Ecclestone.

They have said they could quit if they cannot find a competitive engine but Honda have been even further behind, with McLaren suffering their worst season and plagued by reliability problems.

After the former world champions’ request for a 2016 supply of engines was rejected by both Mercedes and Ferrari, speculation broke in the US GP paddock on Friday that Red Bull have approached Honda about a deal for next season.

“So Honda has an agreement with the FIA and myself that allowed them into F1 on the basis of supplying one team for the first year, etcetera”.

“I’m not blaming anybody”.

McLaren chairman Ron Dennis is blocking Honda from providing Red Bull with an engine for the next Forula One season, Bernie Ecclestone has claimed. However, the sport’s chief executive Ecclestone told The Independent: “I don’t think we should get consent from the teams”.

Pressed further, Horner did not dismiss the possibility of switching to the Japanese firm: “There is so much speculation, a lot of opinion is being based on it, so when we have something to say and something is fixed…it is being worked on very hard at the moment”. They are the facts. “Red Bull could run Honda [engines] if Honda agreed, but they won’t agree to avoid having an argument with Ron”.

Ecclestone added that British manufacturer Cosworth will be one of two independent engine suppliers to be in Formula One in 2017. “When I spoke to the president (of Renault), he said they would make an announcement in December”.

He admitted that Volkswagen briefly were a consideration for the Red Bull company: “There has been discussion with the VW Group which obviously… with their current issues (emissions scandal that has seen millions of affected cars recalled globally) probably Formula One is the last thing on their mind”.

Renault could also still be an option, despite the bad relations, but the French manufacturer has yet to announce its plans for the future despite talk of them taking over Lotus.

“It would be a great solution for Honda because it would fast-track their performance and gives them a benchmark between the chassis of McLaren and the chassis of Red Bull. Honda will get it right sooner or later – although it could be later”.