Owner of the Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso F1 teams, Dietrich Mateschitz, says he has a clear limit as to what he can accept in the world of Formula 1. While headlines screaming Red Bull could quit F1 are a little sensationalist for now, the sport would be wise to pay attention when Mateschitz speaks.
Speaking to Austrian-based Kurier newspaper Mateschitz was asked under what circumstances he might end his participation with F1.
“The question is not so much whether it makes economic sense,” Mateschitz replied. “But the reasons would be to do with sportsmanship, political influence, and so on.
“In these issues there is a clear limit to what we can accept.”
In the near future—14 April to be exact—Red Bull will have its appeal into Daniel Ricciardo’s disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix heard by an independent FIA court. Of course, Mateschitz was asked about this too.
“The team has lodged a protest,” he said. “The fuel-flow sensor, which was given to the teams by the federation, gave divergent readings and it is inaccurate. We can prove the exact amount of fuel flow and this was always within the limits.”
Despite our own wish for Daniel’s podium result to be reinstated we’re not expecting that to happen.
Mateschitz also joined the chorus of those complaining about the lack of drama from the new V6 power units.
“You have to make F1 like it used to be—the top discipline of motorsports,” he said. “F1 is not there to set new records in fuel consumption, nor to make it possible to have a whispered conversation during a race.
“It is absurd to race a lap seconds slower than last year. GP2 partially provides more racing and fighting and almost equal lap times as F1 with a small fraction of the budget.”
[Source: BBC | Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]