Renault is working against McLaren: ''No engines have been delivered for test''
F1 News
- GPblog.com
McLaren and Red Bull Racing cannot test endlessly with old cars because they still contain engines from a previous collaboration with Honda and Renault. According to Ted Kravitz, however, McLaren is being held back twice.
No test of Sainz and Norris
To get ready for the start of the Formula 1 season, the teams have a few options. For example, they can test cars that are at least two years old or use one of their two possible test days during the season to drive 100 kilometres under the banner of a film day.
While Red Bull uses the latter option to get Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon to make some meters, McLaren is said not to have that option either. The team from Woking cannot test with an old car because it still has a Honda engine in it, but won't get a 2020 engine from Renault either.
Renault beeps McLaren
''It is not officially confirmed by McLaren, but from the Vodcast with Andreas Seidl it became clear that Renault is not yet able or willing to supply them with engines. That's why McLaren couldn't schedule a movie day and had to do it with a test at Carlin, where Renault appeared on the Red Bull Ring with the 2018 car'', says Ted Kravitz in his vlog for Sky Sports.
If it's 'don't want to' at Renault, that's the first break in the descending relationship before the start of the season. At the end of 2020 McLaren will switch to Mercedes engines and take over top driver Daniel Ricciardo from their current engine supplier. In the battle for fourth place in the standings, Renault might currently benefit from the lack of a test day for McLaren.