Red Bull to Bear Ferrari Name in 2006

The energy drinks company, which bought Jaguar Racing late last year and rebranded it Red Bull Racing, had signed an engine deal with the Italian Champions, starting with next season. And unlike current Ferrari customers, Sauber Petronas, Mateschitz said the team will bear Ferrari's name, saying part of the reason for choosing Ferrari as engine suppliers was their name's marketing value.

"We decided [to go with Ferrari] with the background of risk minimisation, performance of the engine and marketing value," the Austrian told Swiss newspaper Motorsport Aktuell. "Ferrari was the dream partner, and Ferrari wanted to have us as well. We also will have their name in the team name next year - Red Bull Ferrari."

Mateschitz also said the team had not yet decided whether to switch to Bridgestone for the 2006 season, but hinted that his team may well choose the Japanese tyre maker, partners of Ferrari, over their current supplier, Michelin.

"We aim for competitiveness," Mateschitz told the Swiss paper. "If you look at Bridgestone, at the possibilities to invest, their ambitions, their resources ... I firmly believe that they will be very competitive in 2006.

"Both tyre companies would like to work with us, we will soon get their offers. The financial aspect of course plays a certain role, but it is not priority one. For 2005, we have a deal for Michelin tyres at cost price."

Mateschitz denied that his team were pressured by Ferrari to switch to Bridgestone, however. "There are certain aspects which speak in favour of Bridgestone," said Mateschitz. "There are pros and cons. Right now, the Japanese do not have many possibilities to test with a car on the limit. It is the Ferrari tyre so we might have some synergies.

"But we have to decide soon, since the constructors of the car would like to know."