Dhe Formula 1 racing team from Red Bull doesn’t need it: That’s the message from Formula 1 on Friday. Hours before the first practice session for the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday in Monza (3 p.m., in the FAZ live ticker for Formula 1 and on Sky), Porsche AG announced the end of talks with the racing team. It wasn’t a surprise anymore.
But in the paddock, the agreement was considered decided in the summer. Because the group had lodged with the antitrust authorities that it wanted to take over 50 percent of the racing team. The Germans wanted to ride at “equal footing”, i.e. have a say on the whole level and also select drivers. A sacrilege. Talk Red Bull into it?
The racing team did well thanks to its sometimes idiosyncratic operational management. On Sunday, Max Verstappen could win a Grand Prix for the fifth time in a row, the world title can hardly be taken from him with a lead of 109 points. His team catapulted itself into Formula 1 orbit with a tight management system and is hard to beat at the moment.
Sports director Helmut Marko and team boss Christian Horner steered the project back into the profit zone after the series of victories with Sebastian Vettel in the cockpit. With quick decisions, without detours via board resolutions. So why invite Porsche to turn the steering wheel as the mood takes you? “We want,” Horner said, “to retain our independence.”
Red Bull on a solo course
The Germans, their big name, their money would have been dear to the team. But only in the role of the passenger. Because Red Bull has long been up to something completely different: independence on a grand scale, building not only the chassis but also the drive itself in England. The conditions are more favorable than ever. With a change in the regulations for hybrid drives from 2026, the International Automobile Association has not only attracted potential newcomers like Porsche.
At the same time, the disarmament of technology becomes cheaper for everyone, and the advantage of having a global corporation behind you becomes less important. And so Red Bull’s future program has long been rotating. The first self-managed engine has been roaring on the test bench since the summer. The infrastructure is in place, engineers have been poached from Mercedes, among others. The Austrians are heading towards a solo course with the project to construct everything from a single source in Milton Keynes, not far from the Silverstone race track.
The competition is growing
However, in the case of Porsche, the role of an engine supplier was never mentioned, but “only” support with hardware from Germany for the electric motor. To put it bluntly, Porsche would have stuck the company logo on the car. The strategists at sister brand Audi announced two weeks ago that they would be entering the race with a drive system “Made in Germany” from 2026. They want to take over Sauber little by little after negotiations with McLaren failed. Another indication of the situation of the big racing teams: they can apparently afford to let Porsche get turned down.
After the letter of separation from Zuffenhausen, Red Bull boasted about its attractiveness. Rumors have been circulating for a long time that manufacturers from Asia are standing in front of the Formula 1 door. Although Honda only got out at the end of 2021, Red Bull will continue to supply units until the end of 2025, but seems to be thinking about a turnaround. The competition is growing, driving up prices.
Porsche said that after the changed rules (specifically for the VW brands), Formula 1 remains “an attractive environment” that will continue to be monitored. But there is not much left to discover. The big racing teams are unlikely to give up their resistance to takeovers if they want to stay in the race. The small ones hardly offer ambitious corporations like Porsche the chance to quickly become successful with money alone.
It may be a coincidence that this becomes so obvious on the eve of the race in Monza. The Red Bull course is not. With the successful development of the car and powertrain, the racing team would take the next step and face a competitor who follows this philosophy like no other: Ferrari.
