Mateschitz: Works F1 teams are afraid we would be faster than them

Billionaire team owner Dietrich Mateschitz has accused Red Bull's powerful rivals of lacking the "courage and sportsmanship" to supply the team with engines in 2016.

As he added another "three weeks" to his former end-of-October deadline for the resolution of the engine crisis, the Red Bull mogul explained: "The situation is very simple.

"We do not get any of the existing engines, We cannot get access to a competitive engine because the works teams are afraid we would be faster than them," the Austrian businessman told Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper.

So while Red Bull has demonstrated a willingness to pay top-dollar to Mercedes, Ferrari or even Honda, he says what is lacking is the necessary "courage and sportsmanship, which you cannot buy".

It is believed the last option left on the table for Red Bull could be a deal whereby the split with Renault is completed, but the team is able to run an unbranded engine next year based on the French carmaker's power unit.

Mateschitz did not refer to those reports but admitted there were some complicated solutions that have not been entirely ruled out, but the official line from the billionaire is, "We have cancelled the contract [with Renault]."

Meanwhile Speedweek, owned by Red Bull, gave their take regarding the Renault meltdown , 'The reasons have been clear for half a year. Renault are not willing and able to develop a reliable and competitive power unit."

"Even after two years of development it lacks around 80hp to the Mercedes and its reliability is of pitiful proportions. The disappointment with the performance and the posturing of the French are huge. Instead of improving after the 2014 season, Renault has further fallen behind Mercedes," added the report.

Well respected F1 journalist Joe Saward, writing in the latest edition of GrandPrix+, predicts, "As to the engine supplies in 2016. Expect to see Red Bull Racing using Renaults of some form or other, while Scuderia Toro Rosso will almost certainly end up with Ferraris. There's no time to do anything else..."