The Red Bull galaxy has also taken on Jurgen Klopp
It has now been two years since the passing of Dietrich Mateschitz, the visionary entrepreneur who brought the energy drink brand to F1. Initially labeled as a party team rather than a racing team, Red Bull has, in less than two decades, already secured an impressive 13 world titles (seven Drivers’ Championships and six Constructors’ titles). Despite the time that has passed, it is still not entirely clear how the Red Bull ‘pyramid’ has settled post-Mateschitz in terms of the new chain of command. The fact that team principal Christian Horner was first investigated and then cleared of accusations following an internal investigation into alleged misconduct certainly did not help calm the waters in a team that needs to align a Thai ownership, an operational base in the UK, and another management base in Austria.
In an interview with Austrian outlet ORF, Helmut Marko summarized the state of Red Bull’s management in F1. These were his words: “Dietrich Mateschitz’s death naturally brought changes. He was an autocrat; decisions were made quickly. He was a charismatic entrepreneur with a strong vision who was willing to take risks. Now, everything within the organization has been reorganized, and it’s impossible to find a personality like Dietrich Mateschitz. Consequently, he cannot be replaced by just one person. Structurally, Oliver Mintzlaff is responsible for Formula 1, among other things, but he also handles football, cycling, and other disciplines.”
On that note, it’s worth mentioning the recent appointment of Jurgen Klopp as supervisor of all football teams sponsored by the Red Bull brand. The former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool manager will oversee the operations of various teams, including prominent ones like Leipzig and Salzburg, as well as New York, which competes in Major League Soccer (MLS).
Dietrich Mintzlaff is thus at the top of the pyramid, according to Helmut Marko’s comments, placing Christian Horner below Oliver Mintzlaff but leaving some room for interpretation: “From an operational point of view, Christian Horner is in charge. I would also say that the final details have not yet been defined because the system is still evolving.” Marko also acknowledged that the tensions at the start of the season, linked to the investigation involving Horner, were exacerbated by comments from Jos Verstappen (who, for example, bluntly stated that if Christian Horner had kept his position, the team would have collapsed). “Let’s put it this way, it didn’t help,” added Marko, “but internally, we sat down together at a table and said: ‘We need to unite our forces and work together in all areas if we want to win this world championship and ensure we have a winning car for the future.’ Only in this way can we be sure that Max Verstappen will stay with us, preventing the performance clauses in his contract from being triggered.” – he concluded.
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