Toro Rosso seeking Renault engine deal for 2014

2013 F1 season

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Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost said his team is pursuing a deal to use Renault engines from 2014 so they can share technologies with sister team Red Bull.

“It’s our target to have the same engine Red Bull Racing is using to use the synergies which are possible from the regulations,” Tost told media during today’s test at Jerez.

“We are in negotiations with Renault and we’ll wait and see.” he added. “No contract signed so far.”

Toro Rosso are one of three teams which use Ferrari engines at present. Tost said Ferrari were not seeking to cut their number of engine customers.

He said he was keen to reach a deal with Renault so the team can accelerate its preparations for 2014.

“As early as you know who are the partners we go into detail and sort out the awkward questions because next year’s drivetrain package is very complicated.

“Not so much from the engine side but from the turbo because of the heat from the air system. And then there’s the gearbox, the complete package is to become one unit and you need to know as soon as possible who are partners.”

Tost said having the same engines as Red Bull would be “an advantage”. He said: “We would have the same gearbox as Red Bull because this is possible from the regulations side and for sure we will use the synergies what the regulations will allow us to do.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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20 comments on “Toro Rosso seeking Renault engine deal for 2014”

  1. Interesting. I guess we might now see some new engine deals being sealed after Red Bull have now stated their intent to have both teams use the Renault-Infinity-RBR drivetrain and gearbox. I am sure that will help them both save cost and get more out of the car.

    So STR wants to go from Ferrari to Renault, Sauber stays with Ferrari and FI changes from Mercedes to Ferrari (no deals are sealed as far as I understand). Renault is having their share of the engine pie, that leaves Mercedes. They will use their own engines, probably McLaren will do the same (or should we believe the Honda back in rumours?), so might Merc. have a look at supplying Marussia? Or would that team go for Renault as well (to further use Williams KERS experience with Renault?, maybe add Gearbox)?

    1. The Honda rumours may have a bit of weight to them. Honda has been telling us in the past few years that they want to rejoin F1. Maybe this is how they want to do it.

    2. If I were Marussia, then I’d be looking to get the same engine as McLaren. They already have a technical partnership, and I think this would serve to help them. Perhaps it will depend on Pat Symonds. Obviously he was once tied with Renault, so he might be able to help get a deal with them, OR he’ll want to stay as far away from Renault as possible, given the past.

    3. petebaldwin (@)
      5th February 2013, 22:50

      It’s not illegal to share data and rather than have 2 sets of guys trying to understand how to maximise 2 engines and gearboxs, they can both work on one.

      1. petebaldwin (@)
        5th February 2013, 22:51

        I meant to respond to the comment below.. Not this one!

  2. Hang on, isn’t it against the rules to have customer cars? Wouldn’t the sharing of technology between RBR and STR breach the conditions imposed on them to run as separate teams?

    I realize that both teams can share suppliers (in this case Renault) however the interview implies that by using the same engine and drive chain, they will be able to share other technologies (developed by RBR) as a result.

    1. Further fueling speculation that RBR are using Torro Rosso as a development/testing car for their own.

    2. Each team has to build their own chassis, but are free to use other parts. If you remember, STR was using a Red Bull chassis a few years ago and were forced to build their own after protests. In 2012 FI used a McLaren rear and McLaren KERS and Williams is also doing a supply deal, so it is legal to use those parts.

      1. That great but…FI and Marussia are their own teams, they are not in anyway under the same umbrella. Red Bull and STR on the other hand are and after last year the comments seen many agree they should be nothing more than a GP2 team. It’s quite obvious that what RBR are doing is testing withouth have the hinder their performance, and possibly helping STR. Also the williams example you give is a poor effort, due to the fact that the KERS supplied to Marussia is from the Cosworth engine and not Renault so…

    3. @ady They did say they’ll do it as much as the regs allow…until the FIA change the rules when they’ve signed the deal.

    4. teams can buy engines, KERS (for 2014 more or less integrated into a hybrid drivetrain) and gearboxes. So if STR wants to get their Engine/drivetrain from Renault, and buy a gearbox from RBR, who would protest?
      That would be absurd, as currently Caterham already buy the same package, Williams sold these things to HRT, Mercedes and McLaren supply FI with drivetrain and gearbox and Ferrari supplies Sauber with the complete package as well.

    5. Wouldn’t the sharing of technology between RBR and STR breach the conditions imposed on them to run as separate teams?

      No, as long as the technology being shared is confined to the engine/drive-train, which is what is being discussed here. Teams do have to develop their own chassis and bodywork.

  3. Current rules permit certain types of “assistance” like Force India have (or had) with McLaren and similar, but with the obvious conflict of interest of owning two supposedly rival team in Red Bull and Toro Rosso, you don’t have to think twice to know that they would take exploiting their partnership to a whole new level that would give Red Bull even further unfair advantage.

  4. Don’t I remember that Torro Rosso was up for sale a year or two ago? There must have been a change round in management thinking (or money available) for that to change.

  5. Synergies…really?!

    1. You know, a little advice, some hand-me-downs they could maybe find a use for, just stuff like that, nothing important of course.

  6. If Caterham can have Renault engines and some RedBull technology, why should the fact RedBull own Toro Rosso stop them getting Renault engines and some RedBull technology too?

    1. Because they own them, perhaps?

      They shouldn’t even be allowed to race in the same series.

  7. I’m sure that the issue is money, as is always in F1. Lets say that every manufacturer has spent for developing the 2014 engine 100+ millions so they would (and should) like to start making a profit in let’s say 3 seasons time.

    Ferrari will ask (FOR SURE) more money than renault for the engine-kers because the simple fact is that Ferrari has 2 customer teams so they must deliver for 3 teams in 2014. Renault has 4 customers so If Torro Rosso go ahead and change their supplier before the 2014 season the numbers will be 2 and 5.

    Lets speculate for a minute that Renault was going to ask (let’s say) 17 million euros and ferrari 25 million for a season. If TR change to renault they will charge 13.5 each team thus Mr. Dietrich Mateschitz will have to pay 27 (2 times x 13.5) which significantly lower than 42 (17 + 25). Every team is trying to save some cash, or make some in every way. And in my opinion these 15 million will be for Torro Rosso thier easiest yet.

  8. I thought there were supposed to be rules limiting the number of teams an engine supplier can provide their engines to. Renault currently supply Red Bull, Lotus, Williams and Caterham, and I’m pretty sure that’s the maximum, because it prevents one engine supplier from amassing too much power when it comes time to draw up future regulations. If Toro Rosso want Renault engines, then I think Renault is going to have to drop one of the four teams they currently supply in order to accomodate them. I’m guessing it might be Caterham if they don’t make much headway this year, though Williams only have an option on a 2014 engine deal with Renault, so they’d probably be the most likely to walk away if they thought there was a better supplier out there.

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