Racing Bulls chief has just provided the perfect reason why Red Bull shouldn’t own a second F1 team

Follow us on Google Discover

Red Bull’s ownership of Racing Bulls has been called into question in the past, and team principal of the Italian constructor, Alan Permane, has just provided the perfect reason why it shouldn’t be allowed.

Despite going through several rebrands in recent years, the entry now known as Racing Bulls has been part of the Red Bull family since Dietrich Mateschitz purchased the Minardi F1 outfit in 2005.

Minardi had originally floated the idea of ‘B-team’ to Ferrari, but their lack of interest led him to seek out another potential buyer, and Red Bull cooperated.

Zak Brown has flagged issues with Racing Bulls’ ‘B-team’ status in the past, declaring that they have built a structure between the two racing teams that ‘compromises the integrity’ of the sport.

• READ MORE: Racing Bulls boss highlights ‘refreshing’ Isack Hadjar trait that will immediately help Red Bull

What are your thoughts on Red Bull’s relationship with Racing Bulls?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Alan Permane highlights that one of Racing Bulls’ ‘goals’ is to develop F1 drivers for Red Bull

During a recent interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane was asked about Isack Hadjar’s step up from the midfield-placing team to the front-running Red Bull outfit.

The British engineer said, “One of our team’s goals is to give young drivers a first taste of Formula 1. When they are ready, they move up to Red Bull.

“That is now the case with Isack. Of course, I would be delighted if he stayed. But that wouldn’t be right. He feels ready for the next step and wants to move on. He has performed very strongly this year.

“Of course, there is a touch of sadness, but at the same time a lot of pride when you see his progress over the last few years.”

Indeed, the fact that Racing Bulls are seen as a development team for Red Bull has been common knowledge since the inception of the ‘B-team’, but Permane’s honest admission about it is startling.

The constant poaching of good talent from Red Bull means that Racing Bulls will never actually be able to compete for a world title, which highlights a major issue in the integrity of their project.

• READ MORE: How Red Bull feel about selling their Formula 1 team after Christian Horner’s exit as team principal

Who is Helmut Marko’s greatest Red Bull Junior Team product to race in F1?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Racing Bulls will never be competitive in Formula 1, and it’s a big problem for the sport

Of course, F1 teams using pre-existing deals to place some of their drivers into F1 teams has been a common practice over the course of the sport’s history, but that usually relies on them having a driver they’re building a team around alongside them.

In the case of Racing Bulls, both members of their driver line-up have their full focus on performing well enough to secure a Red Bull seat.

Once it is clear that a move won’t happen, they seek a drive elsewhere, which is what has happened in the past with drivers such as Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz.

And it’s not just drivers that are chopped and changed from one team within the Red Bull stable to the other, either.

It recently emerged that Red Bull and Racing Bulls swapped a swathe of staff members over the winter break, which is what Brown’s gripe with the Italian constructor’s status as a ‘B-team’ was about in the first place.

F1 needs to rethink the model that Red Bull currently deploys with Racing Bulls if they truly want a world championship that could see any one driver or team compete at the very top.