Revealed: The Red Bull-Mercedes Engine Deal That Never Was – Inside the Blocked Handshake Agreement

Information surfaces on a thwarted agreement between Red Bull and Mercedes, vetoed by Toto Wolff

Helmut Marko reveals the close call Red Bull had with becoming a client team for Mercedes during the initial stages of the hybrid era.

Helmut Marko disclosed that Red Bull nearly reached an agreement to employ Mercedes F1 engines, a decision that was eventually vetoed by Toto Wolff.

At the beginning of the hybrid era in 2014, Red Bull found themselves lagging in performance compared to Mercedes, who led the pack for the first three seasons.

Red Bull's capabilities were constrained by their power unit provider, Renault.

In an effort to enhance their competitiveness, Red Bull explored different choices regarding their engine supply.

Ultimately, Red Bull continued its partnership with Renault until the close of 2018, as both Mercedes and Ferrari declined to provide them with engine supplies.

It came as no surprise that their competitors were worried that with an identical power unit, they would outperform them, especially considering the Red Bull chassis continued to show strong competitiveness.

During an episode of the Inside Line podcast, Marko recounted an anecdote involving Niki Lauda negotiating an agreement with Red Bull, which was subsequently stopped by Wolff.

"In 2014, with the introduction of the new engine regulations, our engine provider was unable to deliver a competitive engine," Marko explained.

"There was a significant competitive tension with Mercedes, and moreover, our leader, [Mateschitz], wasn't very fond of them. I argued, 'Look, our current engine no longer inspires our team, as it's common knowledge that victory is unattainable with this engine."

"We had reached an agreement with Mercedes, and Niki Lauda had given us his word on it, but since Toto Wolff didn't back it, the agreement ultimately fell through."

In 2019, Red Bull formed a partnership with Honda, following the latter's disappointing collaboration with McLaren that had concluded two years prior.

Choosing to collaborate with Honda turned out to be a successful move, leading them back to victory in the championship in 2021.

"Marko mentioned that they decided to partner with Honda. At that time, Honda wasn't performing well compared to McLaren. However, Marko had access to confidential plans about Honda's future strategies, which led them to take the leap and embrace the risk."

"I was convinced there was no danger involved because I understood the substantial investment they made in dynos. It was clear to me they were committed."

"In that instant, as [Fernando] Alonso put it, it was akin to F2 style or power, or along those lines, a daring choice. We've consistently made bold choices. Thus, it was somewhat a case of no risk, no reward."

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