'F1 drops MGU-H, Red Bull and Volkswagen collaboration imminent'
Spanish Coches
General
- GPblog.com
It looked like we were going to run with new engine regulations from 2025, but it looks like it will be from 2026 after all. According to information from The Race, Formula 1 wants to delay until 2026 so Volkswagen can enter the premier class of motor sports. The German brand would like to enter a partnership with Red Bull Racing.
Crucial to that plan is dropping the MGU-H. It is a complex part of the current power unit and Volkswagen would seriously consider a move into Formula 1 if this engine part is dropped. The problem, however, is that the other engine manufacturers - Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault - want to keep the MGU-H.
Red Bull have always said that it doesn't want an MGU-H because the other manufacturers would have a head start with the new rules. The competition has been working with the MGU-H much longer than Red Bull Powertrains so they have an advantage. So, in principle, it is three against one, but there is a chance that Formula 1 will veto the new rules. The plan of Liberty Media has always been to attract a new manufacturer with the new engine rules.
Volkswagen to Formula 1
So why are Red Bull and Volkswagen in talks with each other? "It appears that Red Bull and Volkswagen are working towards a common project for the new regulations despite being two independent voices in the discussions. A collaboration makes sense as it allows both parties to share the financial burden of developing an F1 engine as well as the technology required to do so," the aforementioned medium's website reads.