(Infiniti Red Bull Racing)
Mario Illien, the man behind Ilmor Engineering is back in
Formula One. The Swiss engineer began his career in the pinnacle of motorsport
in 1989 supplying teams such as Leyton House and Tyrrell before teaming up with
Mercedes to build the German manufacturers engines in 1993 before forming a
partnership with McLaren.
In 2001, Mercedes purchased a 50% stake in Ilmor and renamed
the company Mercedes – Ilmor. During their time with McLaren, Ilmor saw their
engines win two championships in 1998 and 99 and one Constructors championship
in 1998.
In 2005, Ilmor was bought outright by Mercedes and today the
company is now fully independent which allows Mario Illien to become a
consultant for Renault in order to find a way for the French manufacturer to
close the gap to Mercedes Benz in 2015 following a difficult season in 2014,
when Formula One introduced the 1.6 litre V6 turbo charged powered units.
Illien will work with Renault in 2015 ahead of the possibility
of major changes in the sport from the 2016 season onwards.
Renault were the only manufacturer other than Mercedes to
win Grand Prix in 2014 so they will be hoping that they will be closer to the
Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team this season with their teams Infiniti Red Bull
Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso.
© Ben Johnston 2015
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