Red Bull claim Mercedes offering 'double pay' to retain engineering staff

The off-track war-of-words between Red Bull and Mercedes has again ramped up ahead of this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.

Red Bull has already this week made a bold announcement with the signing of five new members of staff for its new Powertrains department lured from Mercedes.

They followed fresh on the heels of Red Bull announcing last month it had poached 20-year Mercedes High Performance Powertrains veteran Ben Hodgkinson to become technical director of the engine side of the company.

Various comments have been aired in recent weeks by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner surrounding the moves that have been serving as a backdrop to the on-track action between the two teams and drivers Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Now Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has stirred the pot by making a claim against Mercedes as the team fights to retain its staff.

"Red Bull is a passionate racing team," Marko told Motorsport-Magazin. "Everything in one house.

"Mercedes offers people who come to us double the salary if they stay. We don't."

From next season Red Bull will take over the running of the current Honda engine before then developing its own system from 2025 when the new regulations come into force.

Marko has also refuted comments made by Wolff that as part of Red Bull's power unit strategy it is preparing to join forces with Volkswagen and that it would take on the IP from Honda.

Dismissing the remark, Marko added: "These are all things that again require an hour's phone call to Japan so that we can clarify that. That's not true at all."

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