28/12/2017
NEWS STORY
When Red Bull was notching up its successive world championships, the credit given to engine partner Renault was minimal, it appeared as though the Austrian outfit had achieved its tremendous success alone.
But when, under the new engine regulations, things didn't go quite so well, everything that went wrong was seemingly entirely down to the French engine manufacturer.
Aware that Mercedes, and to an extent Ferrari, had done a better job with the new Hybrid formula, Red Bull sought a new engine partner and threatened to leave the sport unless one could be found.
With Mercedes and Ferrari rejecting the Austrian team, which was still threatening to quit, the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone sought to find an alternative but to no avail.
Eventually Red Bull calmed down and stuck with Renault, albeit rebadging the French power units as those of a Swiss chronograph manufacturer.
While Renault's progress was slow it made progress nonetheless, yet still when things went right it was down to Red Bull and when they went wrong it was the fault of... you know who.
As Christian Horner laments his team's worst reliability in a decade, Toto Wolff has hit out at the Austrian team making clear why Mercedes doesn't see Red Bull as a good partner.
Having admitted that it was not impossible that Mercedes and McLaren might one day join forces again, he made it clear that a partnership with Red Bull is not on the cards.
"You must never rule out supplying anybody in the future and this is why McLaren or anyone else in the future could be a partner," he told ESPN.
Referring to Red Bull, he added: "It is exactly because they are saying it like this and undermining their current partner that they are not having one!
"In Formula One, like everywhere else in life - be it your private life or business life - it's about compromise and acknowledging your partner's strengths and weaknesses and helping each other out.
"That is very much the culture we have at Mercedes and that has made us successful in the last few years. Respect is a super important part of our values and this is why we have chosen the partners we have."