MARK GALLAGHER @_markgallagher
TIME FOR RED BULL TO GO BACK TO BASICS
It’s late 2004 and I’m sitting across the aisle from Dietrich Mateschitz in the cabin of his Falcon jet as we wing our way to Madrid for a meeting with Repsol. Long-time Austrian Formula 1 journalist Gerhard Kuntschik sits opposite the man who has built Red Bull into a global phenomenon.
Gerhard is interviewing Mateschitz for the Salzburger Nachrichten. Salzburg lies 25km from Red Bull’s HQ in Fuschl am See, while its airport is home to the recently opened Red Bull Hangar 7, one of Mateschitz’s extraordinary creations.
At the rear of the cabin sits a grumpy-looking Dany Bahar, one of the executives Mateschitz has charged with developing the company’s F1 programme following its takeover of Jaguar Racing. Christian Horner is two months away from being made team principal, Adrian Newey isn’t even a twinkle in Red Bull’s eye.
He, like many, is probably wondering what an energy drinks company will make of owning an F1 team. The conversation turns to other teams and Jordan Grand Prix is mentioned. My former team is clearly in decline. I confirm that while Eddie Jordan had been great to work for, running an independent team when up against manufacturer-backed rivals was a sometimes-thankless task.
“Jordan’s done very well, if we achieve even part of what he has done I’ll be happy,” corrects Mateschitz. “Winning grands prix is the objective, and he’s done that with a small team.”
I thought about this conversation when I read the news that Adrian Newey was leaving Red Bull Racing. If few anticipated the departure of Formula 1’s greatest technical director, no one saw Eddie Jordan diving back into the Piranha Club as Newey’s manager.
Eighteen months after Mateschitz lost his life to pancreatic cancer, it’s a strange twist of fate that the former team owner whom he respected has helped to extract Newey from Red Bull’s grasp. There has been much comment about it, of course; one delightful follower of mine on X wondered what F1’s ‘class c
