27/02/2011
NEWS STORY
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Although it has yet to be officially confirmed, the Renault engines in the back of the Red Bull's this season will be re-branded with the Infiniti logo following a deal between the Austrian team and the Japanese car manufacturer.
On Saturday evening, a media alert to journalists proclaimed a "marketing and technical agreement" between a "major luxury global automotive brand" and a "world championship-winning Formula One team".
While the official announcement would take place at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday 1st March, journalists were invited to a private media briefing with executives from the automotive brand and the team principal of the F1 team in London on Monday 28th February.
The meeting would take place between 08:00 and 11:00 - precise details of the location being announced on Sunday - however, journos were warned that there was an embargo on the story until midnight (GMT) on Monday 28th February.
However, the news is already out, Red Bull will run the same engines they were always going to use, the difference being that - other than the Infiniti branding - the engines will be supplied free thereby allowing the Austrian team to use the £7m saved on its development programme.
Infiniti is the premium brand of Nissan of which Renault owns a 44.3% shareholding while the Japanese manufacturer owns 15% of the French company.
The £7m saving relates to the fixed price for the supply of engines as agreed by the Formula One Teams' Association. Previously, Red Bull was the only leading team paying for its engines.