24/10/2015
NEWS STORY
At a time most are still getting to grips with the very idea of Honda supplying Red Bull, Bernie Ecclestone claims that McLaren boss Ron Dennis is preventing such a move.
"It would appear that Honda are happy to give them an engine and Mr Dennis thinks they shouldn't," the F1 supremo told reporters in Austin on a day in which the action was definitely off track.
"Honda has got an agreement with the FIA and myself that they would allow them into F1 to supply to engines to one team for the first year, two teams in the second and three teams in the third," he revealed.
"In fairness to Ron, he probably didn't know," Ecclestone continued. "I am not blaming anybody. They are the facts. At the time when they came in the FIA said if we let you into F1 you have to supply three teams, they said as we are brand new into F1 we don't think we can do that. "We supply one team for the first year and after that, second and third year.
"They somehow got involved and made a commitment to Ron that he had a veto on any engines, and he doesn't want Red Bull. He doesn't want them, I think he believes they may be competitors.
"They (Red Bull) can only run Honda if McLaren agreed and they won't agree obviously and have an argument with Ron, because Ron will sue them."
Check out our Saturday gallery, here.