“Don’t call us a junior team, that’s not the priority” – Racing Bulls CEO explains. Peter Bayer, CEO of Racing Bulls, on how difficult it is to be seen as Red Bull’s junior team in F1.

The topic of second teams has often been discussed in Formula 1. In particular, the relationship between Red Bull and its ‘junior team’ Racing Bulls has frequently raised questions among insiders. For example, during the Singapore Grand Prix, some were unhappy when Daniel Ricciardo set the fastest lap to take the additional point away from McLaren.

“There shouldn’t be an A team and a B team in Formula 1,” Zak Brown had stated. “What happened goes against sportsmanship, and I hope it doesn’t affect the championship too much.” In a closely contested season nearing its conclusion, details can make the difference, explaining McLaren’s frustration with what happened in Singapore.

“I’m allergic to that definition”
Peter Bayer, CEO of Racing Bulls, also addressed the issue of being considered Red Bull’s junior team. “Let’s just say it’s a definition I’m allergic to. But it’s always good to talk about and discuss it,” Peter Bayer said in a recent interview for the media, ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin – “The whole junior team narrative stems from different objectives of the shareholders. It starts with being competitive on the track and leads to success in the commercial sphere.”

“In achieving those goals, they ask us to add a certain element of fun, which translates into what we do with liveries, music, and the people around us,” the CEO of RB added. “But there’s also a fourth objective, which is to nurture young talent. This means there’s a Red Bull pyramid starting from karting and progressing through the lower categories. We have a lot of talented drivers, and we want them to have a seat.”

Certainly, it’s not easy to meet the shareholders’ expectations, as Peter Bayer confirmed. “There are four objectives, and you have to find a certain balance to achieve them all. That’s why I don’t want us to be called a ‘junior team.’ There are other priorities.” – he pointed out.

“Lately, we’ve chosen to have an experienced driver and a younger one. We saw it last year with Liam and this year with Yuki. Having an experienced driver allows younger ones to grow very quickly. They learn that it’s not just about being fast but also about interacting with engineers and knowing how to react to certain situations,” Peter Bayer concluded.