Over the past 48 hours, much ink has been spilled on the meaning behind Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz' recent quit threats, published on the eve of the ultimate home race, the drinks giant's own showcase grand prix held at his eponymous circuit.
"Besides taking our time and money they [Renault] have destroyed our enjoyment and motivation," Mateschitz told Red Bull-owned SpeedWeek. "No driver and no chassis in this world can compensate for this horsepower deficit. How many more things have to happen before we lose all enjoyment?"
Whatever could he mean?
Red Bull have established themselves as happy to threaten to leave the sport at the drop of a hat, and have been doing so on a not infrequent basis since the move to hybrid power units at the start of 2014. Team principal Christian Horner's done it, advisor Helmut Marko's done it, and Mateschitz has done it. What none of them have actually done is pull out...
But with miserable prospects this season and a paucity of choices when it comes to replacing Renault at the end of 2016, Mateschitz may well decide to throw in the Red Bull towel, especially if a suitable buyer can be found for the well-structured team.
If a rich man wants to walk, he walks, as Mateschitz himself conceded in the SpeedWeek interview. "Sure, there are contracts for Formula One participation," he said. "How many teams have dropped out of Formula One, despite already contracts? You cannot hold someone if he wants to get out."
The energy drink czar is rich enough to take any financial penalties without flinching, especially when any fines are weighed against the potential damage done to the wider Red Bull brand by a sports team that is both unsuccessful and publicly perceived to be petulant.
Maurizio Arrivabene, team principal of Ferrari - an outfit no stranger to quit threats, breakaway championships, and the like in recent years - accused Red Bull of sour grapes, saying in Austria: "It is easy to be happy when you win four championships and easy to complain when you are not winning. You have to accept when something goes wrong and when it goes right. F1 is like this. You could have a couple of years when you are winning and a couple when you are losing and this is the beauty because if everything is predictable it is not a race, it is something different."
Niki Lauda takes a similar view of Red Bull's quit threats, telling Kleine Zeitung newspaper this week: "You cannot change the rules just because you can't keep up," he said. "All the whining does annoy me. It is their right, but it gives you nothing."
The Mercedes executive doesn't see his compatriot as a quitter. "Didi Mateschitz is not someone who gives up," Lauda said. "In fact, he'll work even harder to try to find solutions."
But Horner thinks the time has come for the sport to sit up and take notice of the Red Bull boss' frustrations. "His comments were all things I've heard him say in private previously. He's gone on the record now and said it, and it's exactly what he feels. He's not dressed it up; he's said it how it is," Horner told Sky Sports F1. "That's obviously a worry for Formula One because someone like Dietrich Mateschitz puts so much into the sport - not just F1 but all motorsport - and we need to be able to re-engage him."
What makes Mateschitz's comments particularly interesting is the way in which they appear to form part of a concerted assault on Formula One from Red Bull HQ - in addition to the quit threats in one in-house magazine, the trackside issue of the Red Bulletin blares "What's wrong with Formula One?" on the cover. Don't forget that less than one year ago, Horner used the Hungarian Friday press conference to blast the media for concentrating on the negatives surrounding the sport. Now, he represents the outfit leading the negative charge.
Whatever priorities Horner might have with political manoeuvrings within the paddock, Mateschitz is rich enough that he can sidestep the game playing and set his own terms. Either Mateschitz will get what he wants, and Red Bull will remain in the sport, or he won't, in which case they'll leave. It would be simple, if only the current manoeuvring weren't all part of a much bigger game for overall control of the sport...