BAR confirms split with Supertec
British American Racing is to dump the Supertec V10 engine at the end of 1999, just halfway through their contract with the much-maligned engine supplier
The decision was due to be announced at the Monaco Grand Prix along with confirmation of a deal to run works Honda engines, but were forced to postpone the announcement when a political storm erupted over the issue.
Honda had angered the F1 teams by deciding not to enter their own factory team, despite being allocated a space on the grid in the latest draft of the F1 constitution.
Rumours suggested the Honda hierarchy was so worried by the bad publicity that they might abandon the deal at the last minute, but today's announcement all but confirms that BAR will be a Honda powered team in 2000.
However, both BAR and Supertec refused to confirm their future plans.
'We have been very pleased with the engine, but the deal with Supertec did not allow us to develop a long-term strategy and we could not reach an agreement on this issue,' said BAR boss Craig Pollock.
'We have mutually agreed not to extend the engine supply partnership for a second year.'
'We have come to an entirely amicable arrangement and our relationship with Supertec will carry on with professionalism for the remainder of the 1999 season,' he insisted.
'We will reveal our engine supply plans in due course.'
Supertec president Flavio Briatore was also conspicuously restrained in his statement on the issue:
'We both found that our strategies for the future might be diverging at some point,' he said, 'I can only wish BAR the best of luck in the future.
'Happily we have an excellent product and a number of other Formula One teams have expressed an interest in securing a supply of Supertec engine. We will outline our future strategy later in the year.'
British GP at Brands Hatch - Your views
BAR and Honda agree engine deal for 2000
Why 2022 could be Leclerc's best chance to end his Monaco F1 curse
Charles Leclerc's ill-fortune at his home Formula 1 race is well-established. But his single lap pace and over longer runs during Friday practice will leave the Ferrari driver upbeat that he can make up for his Barcelona disappointment by finally recording a finish and perhaps even banking 25 world championship points in Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix
The inevitable consequence of the Liberty F1 popularity boom
Sell out crowds at Formula 1 races are the norm rather than the exception these days, as grand prix racing is enjoying a massive boom under Liberty Media. But the Spanish Grand Prix highlighted numerous issues some circuits may face as demand for F1 soars
The danger for Red Bull in its Barcelona F1 team orders choice
OPINION: Red Bull walked into a team orders saga on its way to taking a Spanish Grand Prix 1-2 last weekend, where it took the lead of the 2022 Formula 1 world championships for the first time. But its decisions have added an element of risk to later races
Why Mercedes' Spanish GP gains aren't as grand as they seemed
Mercedes' strong showing in last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix prompted team boss Toto Wolff to say it had halved its deficit to the leaders and its Formula 1 title chances were back on after a rocky start to the 2022 campaign. But a closer inspection of the team's performance suggests its gains aren't as grand as they first appeared
What's next for the Green Red Bull controversy?
From the 'pink Mercedes' to the 'Green Red Bull', the Silverstone-based team has received suspicious glares from up and down the Formula 1 paddock over its car design exploits. But after being cleared by the FIA over its Spanish Grand Prix updates amid a backdrop of cries of foul play, what's next in this saga?
Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
In an unusually hectic Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was denied a dominant performance by his Ferrari engine letting go which allowed Max Verstappen to pick up the pieces. But numerous flashpoints kept the race twisting and turning throughout, with one perfect score from an emerging contender
How Verstappen overcame his and Red Bull’s errors to bounce back in double-quick time
Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari engine disaster offered an open goal for Max Verstappen and Red Bull to strike, but the reigning Formula 1 world champion still had to solve multiple errors and profit from a begrudged assist from team-mate Sergio Perez, which created an unexpectedly eventful Spanish Grand Prix
The risk-laden sector at the heart of F1's latest sponsorship arms race
No self-respecting Formula 1 team is complete these days without a cryptocurrency sponsor and a cupboard full of non-fungible tokens. STUART CODLING digs into the new sponsorship battleground and casts an eye on its future