Red Bull Racing has ruled out switching to customer Ferrari power amid their high profile struggle with Renault power units.
As the former champions' troubled relationship with Renault continues to crumble, the speculation has been swirling around the paddock of the Red Bull Ring.
But team owner Dietrich Mateschitz played it down, arguing that being a mere 'customer' of a F1 rival "would never be good enough" to win more world titles.
After Mateschitz's comments, however, Red Bull official Helmut Marko had at least confirmed that an offer was made recently by Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne.
"Maybe there was a vague offer," team boss Christian Horner has now told Bild am Sonntag. "But Red Bull will definitely not be getting a customer engine from Ferrari."
"I do think it's unlikely that, as a customer team, you could go all the way to the top, because you would always be receiving an inferior engine," Horner added.
In 2006 Red Bull were Ferrari customers, with the RB2 powered by a Maranello built 2.4 litre V8, but a year later Renault became the engine supplier to the energy drinks owned team.
The partnership went on to notch up eight consecutive F1 world titles for drivers' and constructors' - from 2010 to 2013 - with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.
Toro Rosso, also owned by Red Bull, were powered by Ferrari from 2007 to 2013 and switched to Renault power for 2014.
Ironically Vettel, who now drives for Ferrari, scored the Red Bull organisation's first win with the Ferrari powered Toro Rosso STR3 when he claimed a famous victory at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.
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