Red Bull Racing has been accused of exploiting F1 regulations by having a sister team on the grid named Visa Cash App RB, previously known as AlphaTauri. Notably, the drink-based outfit bought this team from Minardi back in 2005 to turn it into a rookie team for testing junior drivers.
That being said, multiple team principals on the grid have raised concerns about the two teams with same owners taking undue advantage of information and part sharing. Amid the boiling tensions, rumors of Milton Keynes based team potentially selling the junior team have emerged with Helmut Marko adding further fuel to the specualtions.
Red Bull Senior Confirms Suitors Battling For V-CARB Sale!
Rumors of Red Bull Racing potentially selling sister team Visa Cash App RB (AlphaTauri) first hit the news in 2023. As V-CARB finished P8 in the constructors championship, the owners contemplated putting the team up for sale before senior advisor Helmut Marko intervened. Marko took charge of the sister team operations and urged shareholders to wait for a year. He promised to generate better results, which will, in turn, help the Bulls fetch a higher sale price. Notably, the rebranded V-CARB team has been performing exceptionally well and currently holds P6 in the constructors championship, with seven points claimed in the first four races of the 2024 F1 season. However, the potential sale still remains in the cards, as confirmed by the senior official himself.
Helmut Marko, while taking to OE24, said many parties have expressed interest in buying V-CARB so far. However, the final decision on a potential sale lies with the shareholders. “The price is high for a racing team. But nothing has been decided yet,” said Marko. While the senior advisor didn’t name any interested suitors, Michael Andretti could be a potential buyer. His bid to enter F1 was rejected earlier this year by Formula One Management (FOM), citing no added value to the sport. However, Andretti is determined to venture into motorsport, and buying an existing team would be much easier than pushing to become a new entrant. Andretti can buy the V-CARB for an estimated value of $700 million and rebrand later. Overall, with Andretti pushing hard for an entry in F1, perhaps a buyout of V-CARB could be on the cards.
Daniel Ricciardo’s V-CARB Seat Under Threat After Substandard Start
Former Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo was sent on loan to sister team V-CARB mid-season last year. While the junior team retained the drivers’ lineup for 2024, Ricciardo hasn’t been that effective in four race weekends conducted so far. He has yet to score any points and has been outperformed by teammate Yuki Tsunoda on multiple occasions.
Moreover, with Liam Lawson desperately gunning for a seat, F1 reporter Steven Jones believes Daniel Ricciardo’s time in V-CARB is done. “It’s tough, we’ll keep an eye on it, but I feel something is going to change quite soon, possibly,” said Jones. With the drivers market acting up, it would be interesting to see how Red Bull manages Ricciardo’s situation before the summer break.
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