They weren’t complaining when they were sweeping aside all before them
Red Bull Racing have warned they may have to consider withdrawing from Formula One if measures are not taken to level the playing field.
Mercedes crushed the rest of the field last year as drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg fought out an internecine scrap for the world title, winning 16 of the 19 races on the calendar, and the German outfit are threatening similar dominance this year as Hamilton began his title defence by leading home a convincing one-two as the 2015 season began in Melbourne yesterday.
The team have been the major beneficiaries of last season’s changes to engine regulations and Red Bull argue that further changes must be made to avoid the sport becoming a procession.
Red Bull, did not, oddly enough, complain about inequalities in performance in 2013, when they won 13 races, or in 2011, when they claimed 12 victories, but team advisor Helmut Marko indicated that energy drinks tycoon Dietrich Mateschitz, who also backs feeder squad Toro Rosso, may lose interest in the sport if the current situation continues.
‘We will evaluate the situation again [in the summer] as every year and look into costs and revenues,’ Marko told Austrian reporters after a sixth-placed finish for lead driver Daniel Riccardo in Australia. ‘If we are totally dissatisfied we could contemplate an F1 exit. Yes, the danger is there that Mr Mateschitz loses his passion for F1.
‘These power units are the wrong solution for F1, and we would say this even if Renault [who supply Red Bull] were in the lead.’
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner wants an ‘equalising mechanism’ put in place to stem the power advantage of the Mercedes engines, claiming: ‘The problem is the gap is so big. You end up with three-tier racing and I think that’s not healthy for Formula 1.’
