Three teams poised to change engine supplier for 2014
Marussia, Scuderia Toro Rosso and Williams have all been rumored to be looking for new engine contracts to coincide with the new regulations in 2014, and, according to Auto Motor und Sport, the deals are close to being finalized.
Marussia are set to sign a contract with Ferrari which has been aided by Jules Bianchi’s drive with the backmarkers. Bianchi is a part of Ferrari’s driver academy, and he runs with the Scuderia’s logo on his helmet. Current suppliers Cosworth are set to withdraw from F1 at the end of the season, but Marussia are happy to make the change as they look to cut the gap to the midfield. Although Pat Symonds has previously stated that the team is considering all possible options, it would appear Ferrari are leading the race for a new customer team.
However, the Italian marque could lose its contract with Toro Rosso for next season. The partnership has existed ever since 2007, but Toro Rosso are reportedly pursuing a contract with Renault in order to draw them closer to sister team Red Bull. However, Red Bull are in turn rumored to be considering a rebrand of their engines under the Infiniti umbrella, which could potentially alter any plans.
Renault may be set to lose its contract with Williams, who are in talks with Mercedes over an engine supply for next season. Should the British team make the change, it would be the sixth time in eight years that they have changed supplier. Mercedes are reported to be offering a deal over $6m per season cheaper than Renault, which may be the driving force behind the agreement.
Additionally, Lotus are also said to be considering a switch in supplier when Honda enter the sport in 2015. The Japanese manufacturer has already signed a deal with McLaren, but they have expressed an interest in taking on another customer team. The changes in the F1 engine market are certainly occurring quickly in order to coincide with the regulation changes for next season, and it will only make the order even less predictable heading into 2014. NBC Sports