First home GP without Mateschitz
The system Red Bull misses the big boss
07/01/2023 09:24 am
The new Red Bull boss Oliver Mintzlaff has yet to make friends, Dietrich Mateschitz’s footsteps are too big. His death plunges the empire into deep mourning, and now the first Formula 1 home race is on the agenda. What’s next?
Max Verstappen knows exactly what he owes to Dietrich Mateschitz. “Without him I wouldn’t be sitting here today and wouldn’t have the success I have,” said the Formula 1 world champion shortly after the death of the powerful Red Bull company founder. When the Austrian billionaire died last October, it didn’t just hit the world’s best racing driver hard. “We’ve already had a few races without Dietrich by our side. You have to accept that, but we also drive to make him proud and to continue his legacy,” said the Dutchman before the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday (3 p.m./Sky and in the live ticker at ntv.de) in Spielberg: “Of course we want to win here.”
The home game for Red Bull will be special because it is the first without Mateschitz. There will be no special commemoration of the man who made the team’s success possible in the first place with his enormous investments. “I don’t think that would have been in his mind,” said motorsport consultant Helmut Marko. There will be no Mateschitz curve, no statue or the like in the foreseeable future. The 80-year-old Marko had a particularly close relationship with Mateschitz, and after success often telephoned the lender directly from the garage, who preferred to remain in the background himself.
In the last race in Canada, Red Bull achieved their 100th Formula 1 victory, to which Sebastian Vettel also played his part. The Hessian was world champion four times in a row from 2010 to 2013, and Mateschitz also supported him intensively. After lean years, Verstappen now dominates and will probably become world champion for the third time in a row at the end of the year. “Of course it’s a pity that he wasn’t allowed to experience it anymore – that’s one of the many moments when you wish Mateschitz was still there,” said Marko at oe24.at after the 100th triumph: “On the other hand, he’s up in a way, always with us anyway.”
Helmut Marko doesn’t seem to think much of Mintzlaff
But what has changed since Mateschitz’s death for the currently most successful racing team in motorsport’s premier class? Very little on the outside, because there was no power vacuum thanks to meticulous planning. With one exception, Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez have won all races since the news of his death.
There was also no movement in the operational management with the British team boss Christian Horner and the Austrian Marko at his side. The responsibility, however, lies with Oliver Mintzlaff, who moved from the Bundesliga soccer club RB Leipzig to one of the three managing director positions of the entire group. The 47-year-old has been responsible for Red Bull’s sports activities in football, ice hockey and Formula 1 since mid-November.
“It was a relationship with Mateschitz for 30 years. Dietrich Mateschitz was a profound expert in motorsport. Well, we spoke on a completely different level,” said Marko. Mintzlaff, on the other hand, had to get used to it, is not considered a motorsport fan, but brought in experts to continue the business. The relationship is now getting better with every conversation, said Marko, who also admitted that it was a bit crunchy at the beginning. In the meantime, the new management around Mintzlaff has also approved investments such as the expansion of the factory in Milton Keynes, England. A new wind tunnel is also to be built there.
Changes are pending at Alpha Tauri
Just like Mateschitz, Mintzlaff hardly ever appears in the Formula 1 environment and at least does not interfere publicly. According to reports, however, he would like to set up the racing team more efficiently, which should definitely cause some nervousness within the team. However, the beverage manufacturer’s commitment to Formula 1 is in no way in question – its appeal as a marketing tool around the world is enormous. The expansion course of the racing series in the USA, where three races are taking place for the first time this year, is attracting even more attention to the brand.
While things continue to be relatively quiet in the Red Bull garage, there are changes in the sister team Alpha Tauri. The previous Ferrari sports director Laurent Mekies and the Austrian Peter Bayer move to the top of the racing team, which is to work even more closely with Red Bull in the future.
There will also be a new name for the former team Toro Rosso. Rumors had previously circulated that the group even intends to sell the team. But that was quickly denied. Ideally, the racing team should again become a springboard for future top drivers. Vettel celebrated his first Grand Prix victory in this team, Verstappen his racing debut in Formula 1.
A good eight years later, Verstappen is the dominator behind the wheel – and has not forgotten who is responsible for his meteoric career. “I want to make Dietrich proud with the next win,” said Verstappen in the Spielberg paddock.