F1 News
Lauda wanted to give Red Bull a Mercedes engine
Mercedes sports director Ron Meadows has revealed Niki Lauda once wanted to put a Mercedes engine inside a Red Bull. Lauda wanted this so that Mercedes would have a serious competitor in their early years.
Red Bull, at the time, competed with a Renault engine. With this, Red Bull lacked power to both Ferrari and Mercedes but reportedly had the best chassis on the grid. Many people argue if Red Bull had the Mercedes engine in the back, they'd be the best team.
In remembering Niki Lauda, Meadows recalled a conversation he had with the three-time world champion during the funeral service in Vienna.
"I remember in the early years that Niki really wanted to give Red Bull a Mercedes engine. His idea was that it would make us a stronger team because then we would have stronger competition."
But not everyone at Mercedes agreed. “Of course we did not want that and wanted to keep the engine purely for ourselves. It took some persuasion, but in the end, he understood. I do understand that he wanted it because he wanted to make us better every day."