Mercedes and Ferrari could finally stop Red Bull’s dominance in 2014.
While Sebastian Vettel has dominated at the wheel of Adrian Newey’s cars in the current aerodynamically-fuelled era, the world of F1 will be shaken up next year as the all-new turbo V6 era begins.
Bild newspaper said F1 engine makers Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault have each had to invest at least EUR 100 million on the new engines.
But it emerges that while Mercedes has a staff of 400 working exclusively on the new V6, there are only 250 staff at work on the new Renault.
Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko admitted that "It is possible that the others will have better ideas than we do" for the start of the new era.
And world champion Vettel admitted that, even in the current V8 era, Renault has played a big role in Red Bull’s success.
"They’re doing a very, very good job," he said in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, after matching Michael Schumacher’s feat of seven grand prix wins on the trot.
"I hope that next year we will have an engine that’s as powerful and as reliable as this year’s," added Vettel.
Franz Tost, the boss of Red Bull’s sister team Toro Rosso, admitted to Marca newspaper that he is concerned one engine marque could dominate in 2014.
Asked who he has in mind, the Austrian admitted: "Let’s say Mercedes.
"If they start strong, the gap could last for a long time," said Tost.