Lieutenant Dan wrote:
Magpie wrote:
Maybe, maybe not. As I said, i think it would add far more benefits than negatives for them to have been allowed to complete but with the tie up with GM being the biggest factor of stability, I can totally see the conflict of forcing an engine supplier to supply them an engine, which I think would in fact be Renault. I dont know how much Renault would have invested in the engine design over this iteration of the formula but it would be a tough ask to supply the relevant data to an OEM rival for buttons.
Audi have had to wait until they can run their own engine, so why should Andretti not?
How are Renault being forced? They've already said they're in favour of Andretti and they aren't supplying engines to anyone at the moment. I'm sure they'd be happy to get the revenue and the extra data. This 'compulsory supply' line is one of many examples of complete Liberty bullshit in that statement they released yesterday.
And nothing was stopping Audi coming in sooner than 2026. They chose that date to coincide with the new engine rules, which is understandable. Nobody told Audi they couldn't come in sooner.
So Andretti Cadillac would need an an engine supplier which is either Red Bull (Honda), Ferrari, Mercedes or Renault.
Red Bull engine isnt ready and the current rebadged Honda unit might not even be available in a year or two
Ferrari seem highly unlikely to want to supply a rival OEM
Mercedes even less likely considering the road going car market in the USA would have them as direct competitor on or off the race track.
Which leaves Renault who as the manufacturer with the least supply in F1 as the most likely route via compulsory supply
Audi/Sauber is a bit more complex in that Audi are currently the largest shareholder of Sauber but dont in effect own the team yet. Of course they are waiting to 2026 when they will assume full control of the team but today, the team is run by Sauber who are just a customer and not an OEM.
Liberty are shit and care more about the 'show' than the sport thats a given. The decision is wrong in my opinion but I can see a rationale behind the processes applied, around engine supply in particular.
There is a cruel irony of course in that without GM they had even less chance of being accepted and with GM giving a viable reason for non acceptance.