Red Bull wants to have a “qualifying” mode on its engine

Red Bull once again put pressure on its engine manufacturer Renault by the voice of its Team Principal Christian Horner to have a more efficient Power Unit in 2018.

If the Milton Keynes team performs well, notably with a victory at the Azerbaijan GP for Daniel Ricciardo last June and a success for Max Verstappen at the Malaysian Grand Prix on October 1, the Red Bull team is still struggling to aim for the first row in qualifying. No Red Bull has managed to win a pole this season.

“We evolve with the same modes whether in the race or in qualifying. It's a big difference, explained Christian Horner in the Suzuka paddock. We finished a second behind in qualifying, but the chassis performed well throughout the weekend. Mercedes cannot use his high performance for the duration of the race. The “qualifying” mode is essential because you cannot bet everything on Sunday. »

Renault has already obtained good developments on its 6l turbo/hybrid V1.6. Le Losange plans to make further progress during the winter.

“We hope that our engine partner will make a lot of effort during the winter break, whether in terms of reliability or performance on Saturday afternoon, added Christian Horner. It's not just about qualifying but also about the Grand Prix. We would be in a much better position if we gain a few horses for next year. »

The 2018 season could be the last year of collaboration between Renault and Red Bull which rebadges the French Power Units with the Tag Heuer brand. The Anglo-Austrian team could subsequently work with Honda after its second team Toro Rosso.

Discover the analysis of the Japanese GP carried out by our special correspondent in issue 2135 of AUTOhebdo, available from Monday evening in digital version on all platforms, and from Wednesday on newsstands.