UPDATE #2 Red Bull Racing has hinted that it could carry on with current engine supplier Cosworth beyond the end of this season. Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz said: “We must not forget that Cosworth have done an extremely good job this year and performed beyond anybody’s expectations. They really are an option for 2006."
03/31/05 Red Bull-Honda — get used to it. But, no matter how likely an '06 deal with the Japanese carmaker might appear, Dieter Mateschitz insists a final decision won't be made until April. The Austrian billionaire told 'Motorsport Aktuell' that he could – if he wanted to – sign a new engine contract with Cosworth, or switch to Ferrari. Honda, though – although he also mentioned BMW and Toyota – is a likely shoe-in. ''But we aim for more,'' said the energy drink magnate. ''We want a cooperation, rather than to just be a customer.'' He insisted that staying with Cosworth would provide 'the biggest level of independence.'
03/09/05 Autosport
reports that Red Bull Racing are close to securing the supply of Honda V8 engines for next year's Formula One World Championship, according to sources close to the team. Paying Cosworth in excess of 20 million dollars per year will sap the team's resources and that's why Mateschitz has been shopping around, trying to secure a deal with an engine manufacturer.
Although he denied any deal had been done, Honda's F1 Project Leader, Takeo Kiuchi, admitted "some teams are interested in having our engines for next year and I know they have approached our president on that matter.
"Personally I would prefer to concentrate all our efforts into the relationship with BAR, but I'm not the one who decides on these matters and I can see us supplying a second team next year, in the best interests of the sport and as a mean to support the independent teams."
From Red Bull's side there was also no official confirmation of the deal, although Christian Horner, the 31-year old Sporting Director, said that, "there are two or three manufacturers that have shown interest in supplying engines to a team like ours, but we're also very happy with the work Cosworth has done so far.
"We're considering our options but I expect a decision to be reached soon. We are trying to secure the best possible future for Red Bull Racing and forging a partnership with an engine manufacturer is definitively the way to go to move closer to the front of the field."
