Helmut Marko has accused Toto Wolff of having uttered “complete nonsense” about Red Bull’s passing on Honda engine information to Volkswagen.
Red Bull Powertrains is being set up after Honda’s decision to withdraw from Formula 1 at the end of this year and is currently on an intensive recruiting campaign – part of it at the expense of Mercedes.
With Red Bull based in Milton Keynes and the only other F1 engine in England made by Mercedes being just 30 miles up the road in Brixworth, it’s no surprise that, according to Wolff, 15 employees decided to jump the ship.
Red Bull intends to continue its powertrains project when the updated engine rules are incorporated into Formula 1 in 2025. However, they also keep options open for a potential new partner.
Marko believes Wolff got out of hand after saying the Mercedes F1 co-owner and team boss assumed that information about the Honda intellectual property, which Red Bull is acquiring, would be passed on to the VW group.
Red Bull goods are now available in the official Formula 1 store
“He [Wolff] made a very unsubtle statement that we would receive the patent rights from Honda and pass them on to VW, ”said Marko, Red Bull advisor and head of the driver development program, to F1-Insider.
“That is complete nonsense, that would be unfair and not planned. As long as the applicable regulations apply, we are solely responsible for this engine.
“But the fact that we will be open to partnerships in the future, be it for naming the engine or more, everything is possible and desirable so that our costs remain within limits.
“But whether it could be the manufacturer I mentioned or someone else is completely open at this point in time.”
Marko went on to explain the benefits of introducing the engine program internally, adding: “We will have a situation like Ferrari where the chassis and engine development will be combined in the same location. It is an almost unimaginable dream that is coming true.
“We are very grateful to our owners as this also requires financial commitment. But we are right on schedule.
“In the first step, we will build and use the Honda engines from 2022 to 2024. And when the new regulations come into force in 2025 – if agreed, the costs will have to be drastically reduced, which will also mean a lot of standardized parts -. This means that an inexperienced engine specialist should be able to design such an engine. “
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The post Toto Wolff’s VW claim “complete nonsense” – Helmut Marko first appeared on monter-une-startup.
