Briatore urges Mercedes to supply Red Bull

Flavio Briatore has urged Mercedes to supply engines to Red Bull.

While the F1 world waits for Renault to decide its next steps, struggling Red Bull is reportedly pushing to break its 2016 contract and team up with Mercedes.

Arch rival Mercedes, however, is wondering whether supplying the field-leading ’power unit’ to former quadruple world champions Red Bull is a good move.

Briatore, the former Renault team boss, thinks so.

"Why would they (Mercedes) do it? For the competition," the flamboyant Italian is quoted by La Repubblica.

"If I was Mercedes I would give the engines to Red Bull. To win, you have to have someone to race against. And a race is what is lacking now in F1.

"The first goal of a team like Mercedes is to have a race. The second is to win it," Briatore argued.