Red Bull team scoffs at ‘paranoia of certain people’ amidst collaboration concerns

Despite rivals’ concerns about Red Bull and VCARB’s closer collaboration ahead of the 2024 season, Peter Bayer says the FIA declared the VCARB-01 a “different concept”.

Last year Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko announced that Red Bull’s junior team would have closer ties to the championship-winning senior team as of this year, and in every way possible.

“The orientation is clear,” he stated “based on Red Bull Racing, as far as the regulations allow. Do-it-yourself constructions are the wrong way.”

VCARB CEO: There is nothing that concerns us

Visa Cash App RB’s rivals aren’t too happy with the situation with McLaren CEO Zak Brown vocal in his complaints.

“I think the rules need to be reviewed and modified quickly,” he said. “I think the A-B team ownership is now outdated for the reasons they were put in place many years ago.

“We need to maintain fairness for the fans and fairness for the sport. To have teams teaming up, I think is against the spirit of what the definition of a Constructor is.”

However, VCARB CEO Bayer is adamant his team and Red Bull have not crossed the line, to the point the FIA declared the recently-launched VCARB01 a “different concept” to the Red Bull F1 car.

“One of the first things you learn in Formula 1 is that the easiest way to become unpopular is to be successful,” he told Racingnews365.

“As long as you’re last, people will not even realise you’re there. As soon as you start knocking on the door, they will throw everything at you that they can.

“I’m coming from the FIA [where he held the role of Executive Director Formula 1] and I know how much scrutiny there is on all of the teams.

“Certainly, there is even more scrutiny when it comes to the teams working closer together. The rules are very clear.

“You might have seen the statement of the FIA, when they looked at our car, [they said] ‘this is a different concept’. There is nothing that concerns us.”

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Bayer warns against overreacting ‘to the paranoia of certain people’

In contrast to Brown’s concerns over fairness, Bayer reckons fairness should also mean allowing the sport’s smaller teams a “certain amount of support” to allow them to become more competitive.

He warned F1 against overreacting to the “paranoia” being voiced by VCARB’s opposition.

“It’s important for us because we want to be tough but fair competitors,” he said.

“The other thing I keep saying is if you look at the World Championship rankings from last year, you add the points from the bottom four teams, they have less than the team in P6.

“So what does it mean? It means that ultimately Formula 1 is a battle of resources [and] nowadays, also efficiency. And I believe that the teams which are further back in the rankings, they need a certain amount of support.

“That’s mainly through financial [means], pieces of product supply to actually remain competitive.

“The others, they will out-qualify and out-pay, be it on drivers, be it on certain investments on the CapEx side. In my eyes, it’s the wrong approach.

“The financial reality is a given today, and it’s not that all the 10 teams are making money. We have to be careful [not] to overreact to the paranoia of certain people.”

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