Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz has admitted a short-term engine deal with Ferrari would be acceptable whilst the Milton Keynes team attempts to lure in Volkswagen or Audi.
Red Bull is due to split with current engine partner Renault – something Mateschitz confirmed would happen at the end of the season – and switch to Ferrari power after its preferred option, Mercedes, rejected such a deal.
Whilst the Austrian billionaire isn’t expecting to mount a title challenge with Ferrari power, he believes it would see them return to regular podium scorers until they can seduce a new manufacturer to exclusively supply them with engines, like the McLaren-Honda set up.
“That [a deal with Ferrari] would be, for the next two or three years, a very acceptable solution,” he told Austrian broadcaster ORF.
“If Ferrari as a work teams, and with [Sebastian] Vettel, cannot deliver [the championship] then it will not be possible for us as a customer.
“But we can get to the first three rows of the grid, and from there on to the podium,” he added.
Meanwhile Mateschitz and Red Bull are working to convince a Volkswagen brand, most likely Audi, to enter the sport and supply Red Bull and Toro Rosso with engines in the future, possibly around 2019.
Speaking about their divorce with Renault, Mateschitz confirmed it would happen a year earlier than their contract allows.
“The separation from our engine partner takes place at the end of the season by mutual consent,” he added. “It makes no sense to work together: we could not do that to our teams any longer.
“It is not our aim to be fifth of sixth in the championship. We need a new engine.”
