The Lotus F1 Team have announced that they will be switching from Renault to Mercedes-power starting from the 2015 Formula One season.
Lotus have decided to split from Renault and have been in communication with Mercedes for the past few weeks to take over the fourth engine supply from McLaren once the Woking leave to revive their Honda partnership.
It will also allow Renault to concentrate more of their time on their primary team in F1, Infiniti Red Bull Racing. The move will see Renault reduce its efforts in F1 from four teams to three, and the French car manufacturer feels this is a positive move.
Renault’s Head of Trackside Operation Remi Taffin believes losing Lotus from its supply chain will aid Red Bull in the long run, with the hope that the two other teams, Toro Rosso and Caterham will also benefit from the more focused effort. He also stated that the loss of income from Lotus would not affect its operation.
“I think it makes life easier for Red Bull to go towards what they wish, and there is no downside for anyone,” said Taffin. “The gap between these teams and how they operate, if the big one [Red Bull] is going forward, maybe at a higher rate, I think it will pull the rest up.
“If it is three teams next year, it will be less of an income from customers, but not at a level that it will prevent us from doing the job we want to do next year or the year after.”
The possibility of Renault supplying four teams again is relatively high, as Forza Rossa have been linked with a Renault-engine deal as they continue to make plans on making their F1 debut in 2016.
