مجلة اوتو النسخة العربية

AUTO/FOCUS
AUTO/FOCUS
hockey arena, or whatever event, for X amount of money.
With ownership, you’re 100 per cent responsible, you’re
part of the landscape and your contribution to success,
or lack of it, is considerable. As for MotoGP, never say
never; maybe we just haven’t found the right team yet.
Q Is Formula E — to be staged in city centres like so many
other Red Bull events — of interest to Red Bull? And is there
a desire to get involved in other forms of motor racing?
A We only recently received the documents relating to
Formula E and we’ll look at them closely. But it’s still too
early to say how interesting the project is for us.
Q The NASCAR experiment was shelved. What went wrong?
A We questioned the cost-benefit ratio and also whether
the target group was right.
Q What about Toro Rosso? Are there plans for its further
technical development? Other teams have moved ahead
this year (Force India, Sauber, Williams), while Toro Rosso
seems to be falling back. What can be done?
A Toro Rosso is still our rookie team and its goals differ
from those of Red Bull Racing. But that’s not to say we’re
happy with the development of the car. Significant
improvements need to be found and are being called for.
Q Could you explain the thinking behind the Media House?
focus has been on Sébastien Loeb and on the Dakar Rally,
which we were involved in with VW.
Q What can the series offer Red Bull that the partnership
with Citroën doesn’t? And will the partnership with Citroën
continue? Would that be a conflict of interests?
A Our decision to get involved in the WRC was primarily
based on the interests of Red Bull Media House, firstly to
exploit the series for Red Bull’s own media such as Servus
TV or Red Bull TV, and secondly for the distribution of
global rights. Red Bull’s involvement with the various
drivers and teams is independent of that, so there can be
no conflicts of interest.
Q The WRC has suffered in recent years. Can it be turned
around? Would you, for example, consider bringing back
spectacular events like the Safari Rally? Is this the sort of
‘statement’ event you would like to see on the calendar?
A It’s true that we believe the potential of the WRC to
be bigger than it has appeared in the media in recent
years. We will try to uncover this potential and tap into it.
Only time will tell how this pans out in practice and how
successful our efforts will be. Regarding any possible new
events, we’re not yet in a position to make any statements.
Q Perhaps the golden age of WRC was with the very fast but
dangerous Group B cars and the big personality drivers
‘ AS FOR MOTOGP, MAYBE
WE HAVEN’T FOUND
THE RIGHT TEAM YET’
of the 1980s. Is that a spirit you’d like to recapture?
A I don’t think it makes sense to relive the past. Rally
driving should definitely not be any more dangerous
than it already is. Big personality drivers are always
important in any motor sport, which of course also
means you can cover the various drivers’ profiles in the
media and set priorities accordingly.
Q When Red Bull became an F1 team owner you began
with definite marketing strategies — the team’s large
Energy Station motorhome, the Red Bulletin paddock
magazine, the Formula Una girls — do you have similar
strategies in mind for WRC?
A If we have a few ideas that make sense, why not?
Q You’re partnered with a relatively small and unknown
sports right management company. Tell us a little about
this partnership and how you see it working.
A The Sportsman Group isn’t one of the biggest
agencies, but they have some good people, expertise
and know-how in areas where Red Bull does not, and
PHOTOGRAPHY: RED BULL CONTENT POOL; RED BULL RACING
vice versa. I believe the partnership can work very well.
Q Two manufacturers, Ford and Mini, have already
pulled out of the 2013 championship, though they
will still support privateer teams. How do you attract
manufacturers back, and do you even need them?
A Of course, a broad range of marques is important to
the WRC; it doesn’t really matter whether they’re works
teams or privateer teams backed by works outfits. The
important thing is that the teams and their drivers
should perform well, are competitive and put on a
good and exciting show.
Q What does motor sport do for Red Bull and vice versa?
A They complement each other perfectly. My answer
to the question as to whether Red Bull is integral to our
motor sport commitment or whether Red Bull needs
motor sport is this: which is most important when
you’re walking, the left foot or the right foot? I think that
answers the question perfectly.
Q Can you explain Red Bull’s philosophy, and the
difference between ownership and sponsorship? If
ownership is important, why not a Red Bull MotoGP team?
A There’s a clear difference, in both qualitative as well
as quantitative terms. With sponsorship, you buy a rear
wing or advertising hoarding at a football stadium or ice
Dani Pedrosa
(opposite)
wins the 2012
Red Bull US
MotoGP race
at Indianapolis;
Toro Rosso’s
Jean-Eric
Vergne, a
points winner
in 2012, pits
during the
2012 Chinese
GP (top left);
Mateschitz
with Red Bull
Racing’s chief
designer
Adrian Newey
(above left);
Baumgartner
(in Red Bull
livery) makes
his recordbreaking
39kmhigh
833mph
leap (left)
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