01/07/2006
NEWS STORY
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We hear from well placed and reliable sources, that Flavio Briatore is currently brokering a deal which will not only provide Red Bull with Renault engines for 2007, but will also fulfil the Austrian team's driver line up.
We understand the Italian is currently negotiating a deal with will see Red Bull receive Renault powerplants next season - without doubt, the most coveted engines in Formula One at present.
However, the deal, which has not yet been concluded, will see both Mark Webber and Heikki Kovalainen join the Milton Keynes-based outfit, which will be bad news for current incumbents David Coulthard and Christian Klien, whose future was in doubt anyway. Kovalainen would join on a 'race only' basis, as he would continue to test for the French team.
We also hear that Toro Rosso, which will use the Ferrari engines originally intended for Red Bull, will retain both Tonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed.
Although stressing that the deal has "not been inked", our sources inform us that it is "progressing nicely", which would indicate that the deal which will see Kimi Raikkonen at Renault has been concluded, though not officially confirmed.
There has been much speculation that the Finn would move to Ferrari, and that a deal was already in place. However, as Pitpass has previously reported, this was dependent on Michael Schumacher retiring and leaving a vacancy within the Maranello outfit. We understand that a Schumacher/Raikkonen line-up was never on the cards.
Therefore we can assume that with Kovalainen, and Webber, heading to Red Bull, Raikkonen is definitely in at Renault, and Michael Schumacher remains at Ferrari.