Helmut Marko aimed dig at 134-win Formula 1 outfit during Bahrain pre-season testing power cut

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Pre-season testing in Bahrain ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season went relatively smoothly for all 10 manufacturers in the paddock.

McLaren appeared to have the fastest car and aside from Oliver Bearman’s engine cover flying off his Haas, there weren’t any breakdowns on the track for any of the 20 drivers on the F1 grid.

However, the same level of reliability can’t be applied to the Bahrain International Circuit throughout the three days of testing.

There were some frankly bizarre reasons for the red flag to be shown, including glass on the track after a piece of gravel smashed a window in the start-finish box on the main straight.

A bus then drove onto the runoff area on the outside of turn nine which was even more dangerous than many realise given Logan Sargeant spun off the track at that corner during testing last year.

However, the strangest red flag occurred on the first day of pre-season testing when a power cut saw the track descend into darkness as dusk became nighttime in Sakhir.

Red Bull’s garage – as well as everybody else’s in the paddock – was suddenly pitch black and it took so long to repair the fault that an extra hour was added to the end of testing that day.

Liam Lawson had previously been concerned about his car during that session, while Max Verstappen faced a few small issues of his own with the RB21 in Bahrain.

However, according to a report from Motorsport, Red Bull chief Helmut Marko used the delay to have a cheeky swipe at another Formula 1 outfit that he’s not particularly fond of.

Helmut Marko compares F1 pre-season testing power cut to Renault power units

Every team was quickly searching for generators when the power went out on the first day of pre-season before the lights around the circuit eventually returned to normal.

While journalists in the media centre admitted that they’d never seen anything like this in Formula 1, Marko couldn’t help but see the funny side.

When he met a group of Dutch journalists in the paddock after leaving the garage, he simply said, ‘No power’, before going on to remark, ‘Just like the Renault days!’

READ MORE: Who is Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko? Everything to know

While he was happy to make a tongue-in-cheek comment about the French power unit supplier, he and team principal Christian Horner weren’t quite so amused with Renault when they worked together previously.

The 2018 F1 season saw Renault and Red Bull’s relationship come to an end, with the Milton Keynes-based team switching to Honda power units from that moment onwards.

Horner admitted, via Autosport, that it was a ‘clear-cut’ decision to abandon Renault’s engines for Honda in the end.

However, Daniel Ricciardo decided to move to Renault that winter, expecting to benefit from driving for a works team.

Unfortunately, it was a gamble that never paid off and while he’s no longer in the sport, Verstappen is now a four-time world champion thanks in part to Honda’s expertise.

Formula 1 entering an interesting period of engine suppliers ahead of Renault’s exit

Renault made their engine supplier debut in F1 in 1983 with Lotus and since then have gone on to win 134 Grand Prix.

The last victor was Esteban Ocon for Alpine in 2021 but from next year onwards, they will no longer be directly involved in the sport.

Alpine are becoming a customer outfit, switching from their own Renault engines to Mercedes.

READ MORE: Everything we know about Alpine’s Mercedes power unit deal after scrapping their works engine division

Meanwhile, Red Bull will be developing their own power units for the first time as Honda become Aston Martin’s exclusive partner.

Red Bull can’t test their power units this year and if they’re not up to scratch, then the allure of working with Honda and Adrian Newey at Aston Martin again might appeal to Verstappen.

Audi will also make their debut as an engine manufacturer in 2026, while General Motors’ first creation isn’t far away either as long as Cadillac’s F1 entry is confirmed.