The Weekly Grapevine

Volkswagen and Red Bull

When Audi last week announced their R10 Le Mans challenger in the shadow of Paris' Eiffel Tower, the big surprise was not that it was diesel-powered, but that it bore the Swabian company's traditional war colours and not those of Red Bull, for the commercial partnership between the lifestyle drinks company and the Volkswagen Group, owner of Audi, is, and has been overstated.

Sponsor this year of the executive car company's race-winning DTM effort, Red Bull recently announced that Skoda's works-assisted World Rally Championship entries, too, would carry their colours. Then, VW's 2005 Dakar Touaregs bore the blue of Mr Dietrich Mateschitz's company - and will do so again later this month when the latest version of this most famous of all rally raids starts in Lisbon - whilst SEAT's WTCC Toledos proudly carried the bull logo on their way to numerous victories.

So, given that the Volkswagen Group encompasses four mainline brands - VW, Audi, Skoda and SEAT - and all are, to some extent, beneficiaries of Red Bull's motorsport marketing spend, it is clear that Mateschitz's once-obscure sugar/water/caffeine canning company enjoys more than merely a casual relationship with Europe's largest carmaker.

The two companies are, for example, partners in the rebuilding of Austria's former Grand Prix circuit, once known as the A1-Ring - the others being the KTM motorcycle company - whose racing activities are, not purely co-incidentally, sponsored by Red Bull - and Magna Steyr, which contract builds components for the VW Group and complete vehicles for, amongst others, DaimlerChrysler.

With the announcement that BRR, the team headed by Austrian rally champion Raimund Baumschlager and charged with running the WRC Skoda Fabias in the WRC, will be headquartered at the circuit, rather neatens the ties between VW, Red Bull and the circuit. In fact, about the only anomaly in the VW/Red Bull motorsport portfolios is that Red Bull Racing will rely upon Ferrari engines next year and not be powered by units from Maranello's arch road enemies (and VW subsidiaries) Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti - who don't, of course, produce suitable V8s.

Now, though, to digress: a year ago, to the week, the county council of Styria, within which the 'Ring is located, rejected plans for a wholesale makeover of the facility which hosted seven Formula One Grands Prix from 1997-2003, when Bernie Ecclestone terminated the contract over tobacco legislation - although, according to local sources, the actual real reason was not unrelated to substantial annual losses incurred by the county-driven event.

The plans were rejected after ten local residents, citing noise and crowd pollution, formed a pressure group and objected to the project. In a typically hard-headed business move, Mateschitz ordered the contractors, who had by then dug large tracts of the circuit, to abandon all work and leave the facility as is.

Then six months later, again to the week, planning permission for the 'Red Bullring' was granted after it was shown that the pressure group, headed by a local teacher, had previously attempted to force the circuit owners to purchase their properties at extortionate prices. Thus, reconstruction work is expected to resume next summer - ending at a rather crucial period in F1's evolution: end-2007 - and three circuits are planned: a modern interpretation of the original 5.9 kilometre Oesterreichring - aka Zeltweg, Grand Prix host from 1970-87, an upgraded version of the 4.3 kilometre A1-Ring and a short circuit. In addition, a state-of-the-art high-speed test circuit - designed to VW and Magna Steyr specifications - is planned, as are various advanced driver facilities.

In the six months since planning permission was granted, there has been much activity surrounding the company's Formula One programme(s) in particular, and Formula One in general: first, Mateschitz completed the purchase of Minardi, now known as Scuderia Toro Rosso and headed up by Austrian Franz Tost, who once ran a race driver school and Formula Three team based at the circuit. Second, McLaren's genius designer Adrian Newey handed in his notice, and will join RBR as soon as legally possible. Third, Williams joined three other teams - including RBR - as signatory of the 2008-2012 Concorde Agreement, with STR expected to agree to Ecclestone's terms shortly. And, four, the FIA's post-2008 regulations, which severely restrict aerodynamics, were last week ratified at a sitting of the World Motor Sport Council.

The second from last point indicates that Formula One will continue as the sport's premier series, vindicating RBR's decision to join forces with SLEC and the FIA, the sport's commercial rights holder and governing body respectively, whilst the second obviously elevates the importance of track testing over intensive aerodynamic research. In short, the regulations favour on-going Ferrari-style tests at its Fiorano, Imola and Mugello circuits - the ownership and use of which enjoys Max Mosley's tacit support - over constant investment in ever-larger wind tunnels.

All of which, in a neat if round-about manner suggests that rumours having Red Bull relocating their Formula One activities to Zeltweg - or Spielberg, depending upon which local council enjoys bigger clout at whatever time - could be on the money. After all, if BBR/Skoda and KTM are to fly Red Bull WRC and MotoGP flags from there, why not both Red Bull's flagship operations, too?

Enormous advantages, not least full-time access to a test track during the season - although off-season testing would be a different matter, of which more anon - would flow from such a move. Not only does the circuit fall virtually at the junction of a right-angle cross connecting Formula One's continental extremities - Northampton and Istanbul; Barcelona and Budapest - but Milan Malpensa Airport - fly-away point for Ferrari - is less than a day's truck drive away.

Vienna's international airport is 200 uncongested kilometres distant, with Graz - catering for European passenger and cargo traffic - lying just 30 minutes away. Then, of course, Zeltweg military airport - scene of the 1963/4 Austrian Grands Prix - accommodates private aviation and handles Eurofighters and is located across the road from the circuit.

Presently the Austrian government offers substantial tax relief for hi-tech industries establishing bases in the country, and living conditions are farm fresh, squeaky clean and ultra healthy - certainly more so than offered by most 'traditional' Formula One centres. Of course, not every engineer considers Styria an ideal location, but Peter Sauber's operation, established in a Swiss village, managed to attract the talent needed to survive for a decade and more, with new owner BMW continuing in Hinwil.

Maranello - no bigger than Zeltweg - too, has managed to pull in big hitters. All Ferrari required to get the likes of Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne and others to a remote Italian village not even included on some in-car navigation systems was money, and multi-billionaire Mateschitz, whose dedication to Austrian causes is legendary, has bucks in abundance.

Downsides? Well, for starters, the Austrian winter bites hard in those parts, particularly at the circuit's 800m altitude - as photographs of the 2003 Grand Prix illustrate via a residual snowline surrounding the then-A1-Ring at 3000m. But then, Ferrari heads for Jerez and Valencia for winter testing after discovering in years past that head-to-head running provides the best indicators of progress by the competition. After all, what use breaking lap records at Fiorano by the second if the opposition is lowering laptimes on Iberian circuits at the rate of double that; after all, what use radical developments if the opposition employs trickier bits?

So, Red Bullring or no Red Bullring, Mateschitz's teams would be best advised to test away from home during the off-season. Then, Monza plus Ferrari's trio of circuits all, of which offer potentially good winter month running, are a day away. Plus Ferrari, expected to remain as engine supplier under the 2008 regulations, would hardly turn away their major customer and political ally.

That an upwardly mobile STR needs to move from the hotch-potch facility that was Minardi's racing base in Faenza is clear, and, although Mateschitz is thought to have given staff assurances that any relocation would be two year's hence - that date of end-2007, again - a move out of Italy and to Zeltweg surely makes the most sense. Thereafter it can only be a matter of time before RBR, too, moves from southern England to Mateschitz's homeland and his company base.

The next logical step is an F1 involvement by VW - probably under the 'halo' of Lamborghini, or, less likely, Bugatti - first as engine supplier, then overall team owner sponsored by... Red Bull. VW's main board has regularly refused to sanction a Formula One programme on the basis of a low cost: returns; if, though, an external sponsor covers the (relatively) low-cost programme intended by the 2008 regulations whilst delivering a proven, turn-key programme, then it could be a matter of when, and not if, Volkswagen enters the formula.

Bridgestone Development

Michelin's confirmed withdrawal from Formula One at end-2006 is sure to result in a fascinating power struggle between Ferrari and Toyota as the two - both giants in their automotive fields - battle it out for Bridgestone supremacy ahead of the expected single tyre brand period ahead.

The Japanese rubber company will next year, the last in which it faces 'foreign' competition, supply four teams: said two, plus Williams and MF1, the latter two able to run 'Friday' cars. By contrast, Michelin will draw upon double champions Renault, runners-up McLaren, Honda, Red Bull, Sauber and Scuderia Toro Rosso. So, whilst Toyota and Williams have gone 'Japanese', STR has gone the other way.

Given that an additional six teams, seven if Super Aguri makes it to the grid either next year or the one thereafter, will be applying 'Bridgestone' stickers to their cars come 2007, it makes enormous sense for each team to hope and pray and badger Bridgestone to ensure that the supplied rubber best suits the characteristics of their cars and drivers.

Of course, Bridgestone will say that all teams will be treated equally - and no doubt this is the company's honourable intention, but given that no less than ten different chassis designs - possibly 11 - and 20 - 22 - drivers, each with a unique style, will be lining up on the 'same' rubber, is it not logical that some will end up with more equal rubber than others?

And here the Ferrari/Toyota politics will come into play, for Bridgestone can only design 2007 tyres based upon the strengths of those two teams - and their respective drivers - for a) most testing will be undertaken by these two best facilitated of all teams, and b) Bridgestone no longer possesses current data on the likes of Renault and McLaren - who made the switch to Michelin in 2001 and 2002 respectively, and will no doubt be required to keep Michelin cosy until the end of their prevailing contracts.

So, Bridgestone will base their 2007 tyre specifications upon data obtained this year from Ferrari, and Toyota (primarily), Williams and MF1 (secondarily) - and, initially, no doubt in that order, for the first-named has been Bridgestone's primary focus since 2000 at least, whilst Toyota, as a company producing 6,8m vehicles per annum, carries greater commercial clout than do Ferrari's 5000 cars. Sure a Ferrari-won championship will be great for Bridgestone's image, but would not a Toyota-won title be greater for the tyre company's turnover?

In an ideal world Bridgestone would/could/should expect the two teams to co-operate to beat the threat of a Michelin determined to go out on a high. Formula One is, though, hardly part of an ideal world, and given the need of one 'put one over the other' in a quest for favoured status this year and next, no matter how subliminal or unintentional on the part of Bridgestone, there exists no ethical reason for them to pool their testing knowledge - for testing breeds speed and speed breeds results, and ultimately the most 'favoured' team will be the more successful team.

All this is normal, extremely healthy and to be expected in a highly competitive world. What, though, compounds the situation is the unhealthy relationship existent between the two as a result of a rather unpleasant criminal investigation which has at its roots allegations made by Ferrari that two staff members defected to Toyota, taking with them critical aerodynamic data which was later found copied into Toyota's wind tunnel programmes.

Toyota as a company is not under suspicion, nor has it been charged with any wrongdoing; the two former employees, though, have been, and will face a Modenese court on 28 April 2006. The magistrate will no doubt decide the rights and wrongs of their submissions, and the intention here is not to prejudge the matter. It is, though, this column's intention to highlight the present relationship between Toyota and Ferrari, and the chances of the affair - over which both obviously feel highly aggrieved - impacting upon Bridgestone's tyre development in the season to come.

At least one paddock sage believes it will be so. "But I don't think this - return to tyre changes during pitstops - will give an advantage to Bridgestone, also because Ferrari and Toyota don't talk to each other for that old espionage story, while we Michelin teams have agreed to co-operate," said Flavio Briatore late last month - even before Michelin's withdrawal was announced.

And, if Williams really are in the running for Toyota engines in 2007 - and numerous sources suggest they are - the chances of data will be shared between Williams and Toyota are eminently greater than between, say, Ferrari and Williams. And, for what it is worth, MF1 are running Toyota engines this year, too, and every little bit of data helps...

Where Ferrari once held sway in matters Bridgestone - going as far, it was rumoured at the time, as persuading Bridgestone to force McLaren out of the fold to ensure that they, Ferrari, had first and best bite of the rubber cherry every time - it seems Toyota are gaining the upper hand. And, whilst that may be good for the team, it certainly won't be doing Bridgestone's 2006 chances much good.

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- The Autosport.com Team

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