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Red Bull F1 denied access to Honda engines

There are four engine manufacturers in Formula 1: Ferrari, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, and Renault. Infiniti Red Bull Racing ended its marriage to Renault, got to the altar with Mercedes and then Mercedes backed out, couldn't even agree on a pre-nup with Ferrari, and Honda flat-out said, "No." At the moment that has left the four-time World Champions without an engine for next year, owner Dieter Mateschitz threatening to take his two teams and four cars out of the sport, and F1 honcho Bernie Ecclestone threatening to sue Mateschitz if he does. The Japanese company had turned down the idea because after a first year with some poor performances and a few public sour notes, it wants to get McLaren's cars running properly before it expands its operation. Now it seems some behind-the-scenes action of late has opened up channels between Red Bull and Honda, and the two are at least talking. Honda, though, still says such a deal is highly unlikely at best, and Red Bull says it will have something to say when something is done. It appears that McLaren chief Ron Dennis, however, has vetoed the idea. Ecclestone says Honda made a deal with the FIA that would allow Honda to supply two teams in its second year, but Honda gave Dennis veto rights over who the second team would be. For the same reason that Mercedes backed out and Ferrari only wanted to sell Red Bull year-old engines, Ecclestone says Dennis might view Red Bull as a competitor and doesn't want to risk two more cars getting in front of his own. If that's the case and Red Bull is going to remain in the sport, it might need to hit the flower shop and book a trip to Renault headquarters. Soon. Related Video:

Formula One's Valtteri Bottas can turn it up to 11 in Spain

BARCELONA - Valtteri Bottas can add his name to one of Formula One's longest sequences by following up his breakthrough win in Russia with another triumph when the European season starts in Spain this weekend. The Finn, fresh from his first Grand Prix victory with champions Mercedes in Russia, is the man most likely to become the 11th different winner in a row at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya. No other track on the calendar has had such a variety of winners over the past decade, an ironic fact given that it is the most familiar to drivers from winter testing and was once famed for its predictability. Last year it was Dutch 18-year-old Max Verstappen who became the sport's youngest winner when he triumphed for Red Bull, on his team debut, after both Mercedes drivers collided at the start. In 2012, it was now-departed Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado -- a one-hit wonder -- who handed Williams a surprise victory that remains their most recent. Ferrari's championship leader Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton, 13 points behind the German, will start as favorites and success for either could be an omen given that both went on to take the title last time they won in Spain. But Bottas, who joined Mercedes from Williams in January as replacement for retired 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg, is the best bet to continue the streak of different winners in Spain even if he has yet to finish higher than fourth there. "Getting that first win definitely gives me a lot of confidence that I can do it, even though I always knew I had the ability," he said after Sochi. "And now it's done, I just want to do it again and again." RICCIARDO REVIVAL The only other driver from the leading trio of teams yet to triumph in Barcelona is Verstappen's Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo, but the Red Bull has lagged Mercedes and Ferrari on pace so far this year. That will surely change, with the flow of upgrades set to speed up now that teams are closer to their factories, and Red Bull have some big chassis modifications in the pipeline with engine improvements still to come. "I hope the upgrade will give us a chance to really fight with Mercedes and Ferrari or at least get us closer," said Ricciardo. The driver of car number 11, Force India's Mexican Sergio Perez, has racked up 14 successive points finishes and he too will have aerodynamic updates on his car.

McLaren 720S GT3 race car shown off in renderings

Just as McLaren 650S had its racing version, the 650S GT3, its 720S successor will be joined by a 720S GT3. McLaren announced the new race car and provided renderings of the finished product. Compared to the road car, the 720S GT3 will have a much larger front grille along with vents in the top of the hood and front fenders. At the back, the rear grille will also expand, and the dual exhaust outlets will migrate to the car's center. Naturally, the race car will have all manner of canards, wings and diffusers to aid aerodynamics, too. As for the mechanicals, McLaren didn't reveal too much. It will have a race-prepped version of McLaren's twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. It's connected to a six-speed sequential transmission and powers the rear wheels. The body and chassis are made with liberal amounts of carbon fiber, and it has an adjustable suspension. The car will make its racing debut in 2019, and will be available through select McLaren dealers. In North America, those include dealers in Dallas, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Toronto, Newport Beach, Calif., and Scottsdale, Ariz. McLaren also announced some new racing programs, the most interesting of which is the Pure McLaren-GT one-make race series. It will take place at European race tracks and is open to owners of McLarens with International D driving licenses. Those owners don't need race cars, either, as McLaren provides the cars, maintenance and prep work. The series starts in 2018. The other program McLaren announced was a driver development program to help advance young drivers in their racing careers. The company signed on four drivers to race in GT4 events. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Motorsports McLaren Coupe Racing Vehicles mclaren 650s mclaren 720s mclaren 650s gt3