According to the rumours, Abiteboul, 44, would be in charge of Red Bull's new F1 engine programme, a claim Marko denied.
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Former Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul is reportedly set to join Red Bull’s Formula One team, according to Helmut Marko. Despite their strong competitive rivalry in the past, sources say that Marko, Christian Horner, and Frenchman Abiteboul, who was fired as Renault team leader after 2020, have held talks. According to rumours, Abiteboul, 44, would be in charge of Red Bull’s new F1 engine programme.
“I really don’t know where this nonsense comes from,” Marko told f1-insider.com. “It’s absolute nonsense. Ben Hodgkinson is and will remain the leader of our engine project. We hope that he can start working as soon as possible.”
Marko also shot off suggestions that 2021 Red Bull reserve Alex Albon has raised concerns about the energy drink-owned team’s competitiveness this season. Albon had previously spoken about the strong effort and resources required to bring Red Bull’s exceedingly close title race with Mercedes to a finish in 2021.
“Albon’s statements were misinterpreted,” Marko said. “All I can say is that we want to defend Max Verstappen’s title and are very well positioned to do so. We had two different development programs running in 2021. Both worked. There’s no reason to believe that, unless someone has found the philosopher’s stone in the new regulations, Mercedes and us won’t be the favourites again this year,” he added.
When thinking of who Red Bull Racing would want in charge of their Powertrains department, it is fair to say Cyril Abiteboul would not be the first name on many fans’ lists.
This isn’t due to the Frenchman’s lack of credibility, but the strained relationship he shares with the Milton Keynes-based team. Yet, a recent report in Motorsport Italy claims the unlikely alliance is set to happen.
Abiteboul will be in charge of Red Bull Powertrains, the division set up to manufacture Red Bull’s engines from the 2022 season onwards.
Read More – Former Renault F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul to take up Red Bull Powertrains role – report
This department was set up after Red Bull purchased Honda’s F1 engine department. Honda, it is worth noting, departed the sport at the end of the 2021 season.
That being said, going with Abiteboul is still a shock choice. The Frenchman was in charge at Renault from 2014-20, and was often the target of criticism from Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal.
The two bickered in public as Horner questioned the quality of the Renault power engines. Eventually Red Bull chose to ditch Renault and join forces with Honda.
But that wasn’t the end. Abiteboul further annoyed the team by signing away Daniel Ricciardo in 2019. The Australian was a Red Bull junior and his departure from the team shocked many.
