No Red Bull 2019 engine decision until June as Honda talks continue

Red Bull will make no final decision about its Formula 1 powe𒅌r unit plans for 2019 until next month at the earliest, according to team𝓀 principal Christian Horner.

Red Bull's current deal with long-term engine supplier Renault expires at the end of the 2018 season, with the two parties having experienced a rock💝y partners😼hip under the V6 hybrid regulations introduced in 2014.

No Red Bull 2019 engine decision until June

Red Bull will make no final decision about its Formula 1 power unit plans for 2019 until next month at theಌ earliest, according to team principal Christian Horner.

Red Bull's current deal with long-term engine supplier Renault expires at the end of the 201𒉰8 season, with the two parties having experienced a rocky partnership under the V6 hybrid regulations introduced in 2014.

Red Bull has confirmed publicly it has held talks with Honda about a possible deal for 2019. The Japanese manufacturer currently supplies Red Bull B-team🗹 Toro Rosso with engines, appearing to act as a precursor to a possible expanded deal in the future.

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Renault said in pre-season that it wanted Red Bull to take a decision by the FIA's deadline for notice of supply, which is ꦿMay 15, but Horner confirmed on Sky Sports F1 on Friday that a call would be made𓆉 beyond this date, despite Renault F1 chief Cyril Abiteboul saying the team needed to know how many teams it would be supplying in order to account for part 𓆉numbers.

"It certainly won’t be in May," Horner said.

"Cyril’s comments about bits? Well he is always short of bits anyway, so putting in an order for a few more parts isn’t going to do them any🐠 harm.

"Our decision-making will be at the earliest is in June. You always want a cle🦩arer picture before you make a commitment. That is what we are trying to achieve."

Renault engine boss Remi Taffin sai❀d that while the bulk of decisi꧑ons regarding contracts lay with Abiteboul, he agreed that a certain level of notice was required from Red Bull over its intentions for next year.

"Obviously there are some deadlines, which is simply based on the fact that we have to order pa𒈔rts," Tꦬaffin said.

"As a starting point, we know that by the end of this months we would have to start buying some parts to supply as many teams as we would have to for next year. So that is one of our technical deadline🌠s.

"Then the rest, as I said, is all about hav𒀰ing a contract or not with them, which is obviously on their side."

♚Honda's Toyoharu Tanabe added that following the preliminary talks in Baku two weeks ago, a deal with Red Bull remained "under discussion", but could not give a date which an agreement would need to be confirmed by.

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