Power Struggles: Red Bull & Haas F1 Teams Entice Investors
Apr.9 - Energy drink company Red Bull could be looking to offload its second Formula 1 team - currently awkwardly called Visa Cash App RB.
Earlier, the Faenza based outfit was known as Toro Rosso and AlphaTauri, but it might now be a victim of the obvious power struggle playing out between team owner Red Bull's warring Austrian and Thai shareholding factions.
When asked if there's truth to the rumours, Dr Helmut Marko admitted to Osterreich newspaper: "There are a lot of interested parties.
"Ultimately it's a shareholder decision," consultant Marko, clearly on the Austrian side of the factional dispute, added.
"The price is high for a team, but nothing has been decided yet."
At Suzuka last weekend, another rumour was whispered around the paddock - that F1's smallest team, Haas, is also fielding big-money buyout offers.
Ralf Schumacher, a seasoned Haas critic following his nephew Mick's troubled time at the team, admitted he would "certainly not" advise fellow German Nico Hulkenberg to sign a new contract with Haas for 2025.
"It's certainly a great team and everything will get better there, but the structure is not geared towards the future and is not looking towards the future either," he told Sky Deutschland.
"Investments are pending, but they are not being made because Gene Haas has other ideas. I understand that.
"It's currently a nice small team for newcomers like Oliver Bearman," the former F1 driver added, "but they still have to get used to working with young drivers. They have work to do on that."
Interestingly, both RB and Haas are currently 'best of the rest' behind the top five Formula 1 teams, having scored points so far in 2024 - unlike stragglers Williams, Sauber and Alpine.
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen said at Suzuka: "We'll put some upgrades on the car soon that will hopefully help us fight AlphaTauri or whatever they're called."
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