NBC's Will Buxton blasts former champions for quit threats
Thursday 10 December 2015 13:58, UK
F1 Midweek Report guest Will Buxton has blasted Red Bull for having a "childish mentality" during the 2015 F1 season.
With results not matching previous years as the team failed to win a race for the first time since 2008, Red Bull publically slated engine partner Renault and announced their intention to split from the French firm.
"Suddenly things start rolling against them and they are not competitive again this year - 'oh, we are going to leave the sport unless things are changed'. It is that absolute childish mentality of 'we are not winning so we are going to take our ball and we are going to leave'," said Buxton.
"My parents brought me up that I had to work for something and I think it is the way we were all brought up. If you want to win, you want to do well, you work for it and you work hard for it, you don't just expect it to be given to you.
"I think that is why a lot of the fan base and those guys that did buy the T-shirts and the caps from Red Bull were so upset with the team this year because they believed that they were a sporting entity and that wasn't sporting the way they acted this year."
After being turned down by Ferrari, Mercedes and Honda, Red Bull were forced to continue with Renault power units in 2016 and Buxton is predicting another frustrating season.
"This isn't a perfect situation for them, they said they wanted to leave Renault and they are going to have Renault engines next year badged as TAG," he said.
"It is not going to be a great year for them, it is not going to be easy, but they have made their own bed.
"They won four world championships on the bounce and were afforded every political and sporting advantage that they requested.
"Tyre regulations were changed, technical regulations were changed because Red Bull were upset that they weren't competitive."
Prior to the change to hybrid turbo units the Red Bull and Renault partnership dominated F1 at the turn of the decade, delivering four Drivers' and Constructors' Championship doubles.
"I said to Christian [Horner] halfway through the year 'what percentage of your problems this year would you put down to your engine supply?'" revealed Buxton.
"He said 'about 80, 85 per cent'. I said 'okay what percentage of your four championship successes would you put down to your engine supplier?' He went 'oh well, we win as a team and we lose as a team'.
"So something has to give, and it has to go both ways."
