2018 Aston Martin Red Bull Racing - Tag Heuer (Renault)

[ME4ME]

Two races earlier:


So Renault denied RBR a new consequence free ICE, Turbo and MGUH according to the article.

[hasika]

It seems Ricciardo signs a 1 year deal with RBR,but with a option to decide if he will drive for the team in 2020 based on the performance of RB15.

[Singabule]

At least with joining honda camp, they can swap engine as much as RB want. Cant wait next season when RB overlap Renault, MCL, and hopefully overtake Merc and Ferarri as well. As long RB dont care about grid penalties, fresh engine woluld always available on time when needed

[Squid]

Having a competitor be able to control your PU strategy... Either Renault will want to go out on "good" terms with RBR, or the situation is going to get much, much worse as the year progresses.

[adrianjordan]

Having a competitor be able to control your PU strategy... Either Renault will want to go out on "good" terms with RBR, or the situation is going to get much, much worse as the year progresses.

Ask Torro Rosso which they think it will be...

[NL_Fer]

Guys what is wrong with this car? No grip, no downforce in the rain and it is starting to lack in full throttle corners too.

[gandharva]

Is it possible/legal to switch engine supplier during season?

[Sieper]

And that is two technical ko’s in 3 races for Max and one more for Ric in those same 3 races.

Many more before that and last year was a battlefield. How is this possible.

[Ground Effect]

Reliability is awful, it's so bad that it seems deliberate. I doubt it is, but how can this be explained?

[TzeiTzei]

Reliability is awful, it's so bad that it seems deliberate. I doubt it is, but how can this be explained?

It's a Renault product. That's enough of an explanation.

[PhillipM]

Reliability is awful, it's so bad that it seems deliberate. I doubt it is, but how can this be explained?

Old MGU-K, new one is supposed to be more reliable but RB said it didn't fit their packaging so didn't take it.

[Ground Effect]

Reliability is awful, it's so bad that it seems deliberate. I doubt it is, but how can this be explained?

It's a Renault product. That's enough of an explanation.

But why is the Red Bull reliability particularly bad? Are Renault playing games, are Red Bull taking risks, or overly aggressive packaging?

[Big Tea]

Reliability is awful, it's so bad that it seems deliberate. I doubt it is, but how can this be explained?

It's a Renault product. That's enough of an explanation.

But why is the Red Bull reliability particularly bad? Are Renault playing games, are Red Bull taking risks, or overly aggressive packaging?

Quite possible Renault do not want to show them too much as they are off to Honda next year.
I think the rules say they must be offered the latest development, but there are ways to make it look less attractive to them.

[gshevlin]

Given the spiky, confrontational relationship that has existed between Red Bull and Renault for several years, I think the reliability of the Red Bull team is going to decline rapidly from here on out. Toro Rosso suffered badly at the end of last year when Renault declined to supply any newer-spec powerplant components, on the grounds that they were focussing all R&D on 2018. We saw the TR cars being fitted with all manner of high-mileage powerplant components at the end of the season.
The underlying issues are:
(1) Renault is trying to do F1 on a budget which is not big enough. There is a story circulating of how, when Renault were seriously wondering whether they should even continue in F1 because not enough money was on offer, Ron Dennis launched into a blunt series of comments at a leadership meeting, effectively telling Bernie and the others to give Renault the ****ing money. I think, however, that Renault is operating like Ford in its last 10 years in F1, a day late and few million dollars short.
(2) Renault never wanted to supply Red Bull in the first place, and only did so because the complicated set of agreements between the FIA and the powerplant suppliers forced them, under the terms of the contract with LibertyF1, to supply Red Bull. That is not a recipe for a harmonious relationship. It looks more like a shotgun wedding to me. The TAG Heuer badging of the powerplant tells its own story.

The relationship between Red Bull and Renault is broken, it has been broken for years, and I expect to see and hear a lot of light, heat and sound between those two parties before the end of the season. They may dress it up in marginally more polite language, but I think the prevailing sentiment on both sides is not much above "well ***k you" right now.

[GerryTT]

Is it possible to switch to a Honda engine in 3 weeks time? Seriously.
The relationship with Renault is dead. They both agree to stop the contract as of right now.
RBR is already working on the 2019 car so the Honda engine is already implanted in a chassis. And the season is already a almost safe 3rd place so just put in the Honda engine and get twice the data for next year's engine. If it was my decision I would ask the engineers to give up their vacation and do it. Nothing to loose and all the more to win.