What About an RBR -Sauber "loan"

By John Sharpe
March 31 2005

It just might be that Red Bull Racing has the strongest drivers’ line up in Formula One this season. If you do not believe me, just ask Peter Sauber. With veteran David Coulthard, Britain’s all-time F1 points' leader, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Christian Klien, Red Bull Racing has come on strong

- producing two consecutive top ten finishes while sitting pretty in third place in the constructors’ championship.

With the emergence of American Scott Speed, Red Bull has also tapped a pipeline for honing the talents of young drivers through their driver search program. Current teams such as Mclaren, Renault and BAR have some sort of curriculum in place to bring up young talent, sponsoring them up the ladder into F1.
Red Bull’s program however is not only bolder –it is ambitious. Many drivers never come close to realizing their dreams of F1 stardom. Few even make it to a formal test.
Through the Red Bull’s Driver Search Program, hopefuls are put to the test with a rigorous set of run off, physical exams and mental evaluations. The chosen ones are then “supported” up the Formula One ladder as sponsored Red Bull drivers on the Red Bull Junior Team. Both Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed have benefited from the program.
As it stands currently, other F1 teams on the grid might benefit from it as well.

There is little doubt surrounding the abilities of both Liuzzi and Klien. Liuzzi thoroughly dominated F3000 in 2004, winning seven out of ten races. His reward was a Sauber test. This proves critical because up until that year Red Bull was one of Peter Sauber’s biggest sponsors – for nearly 10 years in fact. Prior to Villeneuve signing, Liuzzi was connected to the seat that JV now occupies. If Peter Sauber had decided not to sign JV, Tonio Liuzzi quite possibly could have been the one racing the C24 on Sundays.

As I began to review the comments, Dietrich Mateschitz made to Swiss publication “Motorsport Aktuell” regarding a possible driver for “loan” deal with Sauber I could not help but think about Scott Speed and where he must fit in all this. After all, The Driver Search Program was designed to place a young “diamond in the rough” driver who was from America into the pinnacle of all motor racing – Formula One. With Speeds brilliant debut test, out performing his Red Bull Juniors teammate, Neel Jani, he was able to secure his place in line as RBR’s next “driver in waiting”.

Since the futile attempt at F1 by Michael Andretti back in 1993, few Americans have had a direct pathway into the sport of Formula One.
Many US super – stars, in other types of motor sport, have been linked to a test or an F1 contract - the biggest name being Jeff Gordon of NASCAR with the Williams team. None have made it to the starting grid thus far.
Bernie Ecclestone has long echoed the growing need for an American presence in F1. Dan Gurney, founder of All American Racers at one point considered a move to F1 with his own team. This would have been huge since not only would it have been an American team but one with quite possibly two American drivers. Dan still has roots in the series having driven back in the 60’s for the Ferrari works team as well as for Jack Brabham. However, Gurney, who won the Belgium GP in his own Eagle-Weslake in 1967, sadly could not pull the founding together needed to be successful in the sport.

So, as I begin to dive deeper into the subject of a driver loan to Sauber something occurred to me. Mateschitz, being the brilliant marketing genius he is, not only has the next future American F1 driver on his junior team, he has also found a new way to market and sell a great deal more Red Bull in the United States - Scott Speed will become the new poster boy for Red Bull in America!

With the concern over JV suffering in the Sauber and quite possibly being fired, Dietrich Mateschitz has a way of not only gaining F1 experience to his two current F1 drivers Liuzzi and Klien. He now has an open door, or at least a key, for Scott Speed to make his entrance onto the RBR team as a third driver. Speed will become the first American to rise up the ranks as a “true to form” F1 racer.

Red Bull Racing definitely needs to gauge Liuzzi against Klien and to look towards ’06. If Coulthard is to remain with the team, there needs to be a clear-cut number two - no better way to find that out then by having Liuzzi race against DC to see how he measures up.
If Liuzzi does replace Klien at Imola, there will be a need for a Friday tester and every indication is pointing towards Speed.
As I have stated early, there is a strong Red Bull – Sauber connection. Even before the signing of Villeneuve there was a possibility of Sauber retaining some sort of financial assistance from Red Bull through Liuzzi.
If JV is let go during this season, Klien might be the “loaner” to Sauber while Liuzzi fights to gain the race seat for next year. In any event, next year could see Klien, the Austrian or Liuzzi, the former Red Bull Junior and F3000 champion, at Sauber. Klien’s connection to the RBR team, barring the known fact that he was Jaguars number two before Mateschitz bought the team, was that he was with RBR boss Christian Horner at Arden before making the jump to F1 in 2004.

The current theory is that even if Villeneuve is able to keep his seat the rest of the season, the Austrian, Klien, will replace him.
Liuzzi will partner DC, if he decides to remain with RBR and Scott Speed will make his F1 debut as the teams Friday tester.
All this plays into the hands of Mateschitz and RBR. If Villeneuve is canned before the end of this season, it alleviates one of RBR’s direct competitors for points. However, it will also play out one fantastic marketing strategy if it happens just before the US GP where Scott Speed will surely be the main attraction for the entire weekend. The moment he takes to the track on Friday, Red Bull can's will be popped open throughout the States and quite possibly a new generation of F1 fans will be born on that day. Not to mention a large amount of newly minted RBR racing followers as well.

The way I look at it, everyone wins – well sort of. The ultimate loser will be Jacques Villeneuve but perhaps all this speculation will create a desire for him to regain his form.

Red Bull Racing I believe has made a difference in F1 this year. They have brought back some excitement with a team showing resolve under transition. RBR currently hold third in both drivers and constructors tables. They have created a more refreshing and relaxed air to the paddock similar to the Renault team but more importantly, they may have found the correct ingredients for bringing the United States back into Formula One.

John.Sharpe@racingbulls.co.uk