Renault should prioritise Red Bull over own team - Marko

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Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko says Renault should prioritise his team over its own factory outfit.

A frustrating 2015 season saw Red Bull publicly criticise engine supplier Renault amid reliability and performance problems, before the team attempted to switch to one of Mercedes, Ferrari or Honda. With no deal possible, Red Bull ended up remaining with Renault but will re-badge its power unit as Tag Heuer in 2016.

Renault has since completed the takeover of Lotus to return as a constructor this season, but Marko believes it would be better off focusing on Red Bull than its own team.

"We are contractually secure and we have the same status," he told the Salzburg Nachrichten newspaper. "When I look at the current Lotus (Renault) team, if Renault has any sense, they should concentrate on us because with that team and drivers they will achieve virtually nothing at all.”

Before the Renault takeover, Lotus lost Romain Grosjean to new team Haas, with 2014 GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer replacing him. There is also uncertainty over the second seat, with Pastor Maldonado looking likely to lose his drive to Kevin Magnussen.

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