For the past two seasons, Red Bull Racing has dominated Formula
One. Back to back titles in both categories are ample reward for
the investment that the energy drinks company made when it
purchased Jaguar's foundering effort in the winter of 2004. Since
the wins started coming they haven't stopped, and company founder
Dietrich Mateschitz has been able to bask in the glory of seeing
his vibrant young company humiliate the greatest racing names in
the world. But a question now hangs over the company's commitment:
having tasted victory, would Red Bull be content to sink back into
the midfield?
Although it is not immediately apparent, Red Bull's current
success (for which they deserve huge credit, having achieved a
staggering amount in a relatively short period) is built on fragile
foundations. The Renault V8 is competent, but lacks the outright
grunt of Mercedes' powerplant. Therefore, the Milton Keynes based
squad's success rests on the shoulders of two men - the superstar
in the cockpit, and the superstar in the design office. Remove one
of these men, and it all looks rather precarious. Now, there's no
sign that Vettel and Newey are anything but committed to the Red
Bull cause for the foreseeable future, but if the past teaches us
anything it is that nothing lasts forever, and success comes in
cycles. One day both men will fly the nest, and Red Bull will fall
from grace. Not necessarily in that order.
This is quite natural. Even Ferrari's unprecedented triumphs of
the early to mid-noughties came to a shuddering halt when the old
guard went their separate ways. But there is a lingering sense that
Red Bull's winning streak won't last that long: there is a hint of
Schumacher's Benetton or Alonso's Renault about them - teams which
enjoyed a brief interlude of glory (built on a collision of talent
on and off track) before fading away. Ask most fans, and they will
tell you that sooner or later, the colossal figures of McLaren and
Ferrari will move in to reclaim their territory. Even in choppy
waters, these two iconic names tend to float to the top.
Nobody really believes that Red Bull will go on to join the
truly legendary names of the sport. Their success will surely be
admirable, but all too fleeting. And when the team does find itself
back in the lower points positions, will the suits in Salzburg
decide to pull the plug on their two hundred mile per hour
billboards?
That's a tricky one to answer. When all is considered, Red
Bull's foremost reason for being in Formula One is to shift a few
more crates of the sugary stuff, through portraying the brand as
fast, competitive, exciting - the best. Undoubtedly that is easier
to achieve when Sebastian Vettel is leading Alonso and Hamilton
home, and not so easy when you get stuck behind Pastor Maldonado.
But give them some credit: Red Bull parted company with
considerable sums in order to sponsor Sauber for a decade, and
during that time they saw little silverware. But they stuck at it.
That could be a sign that even in hard times, Mateschitz is willing
to bankroll his personal racing team.
The problem is, there are now two of them. Funding Red Bull and
Toro Rosso must make a significant dent in the reclusive Austrian's
wallet, and should the factory team sink to the depths of the
junior squad then Dietrich would be forgiven for telling Dr. Marko
to shut the factory doors on one - if not both - of his entries.
Quite simply, advertising is only worthwhile if it produces a
return on investment, and that investment may not be so easily
recouped from twelfth on the grid.
What Red Bull decides to do in more difficult times remains to
be seen. What we know of the company so far is that they spent
fourteen persistent years in F1 and saw little in the silverware in
that time. However, having now tasted success at the highest level,
they may be less willing to return to those dark days when a good
result consisted of an eighth place or a double finish. Going for
the peak is all very good fun - descending from it is less so. And
if the example of Benetton is anything to go by, then the decision
makers may simply decide to get off the mountain.
But then again, Red Bull might yet surprise us. As they keep
reminding us, they aren't like other teams.