VCARB CEO Sets Record Straight On Red Bull 'Junior Team' Claims

Saajan Jogia | Oct 16, 2024

Jun 8, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; RB driver Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) races during FP3 practice session of the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

VCARB CEO Peter Bayer has clarified that while the team is linked to Red Bull's junior program, that is not its primary focus. He highlighted that being a junior team ranks fourth on its list of priorities, with three other more important objectives taking precedence.

The comments come in the wake of Daniel Ricciardo's VCARB ousting after the Singapore Grand Prix, considering his underperformance during the 2024 season. His position in the team had raised concerns, as VCARB, traditionally a platform for emerging talent from junior series, was housing an experienced F1 driver, which conflicted with its developmental purpose.

However, Bayer felt the need to correct the team's identity as a junior team, revealing the team's principles in the order of priority. He told Racingnews365.com:

"I'm almost allergic to 'junior team'.

"But it's good to hear that and to discuss it.

"The whole junior team thing really comes from [having] different missions from the shareholders. It starts with being competitive on track. It continues with being successful commercially.

"To do both of those clearly measurable targets, they want us to add a certain cool and fun factor, which is [what] we do with the liveries and the music and the content and the people around us.

"But then there's a fourth one, which is develop young drivers. Meaning that we have the Red Bull pyramid, starting in karting, then coming up through F4, F3 and F2. We've got an amazing lot of talent coming up and and they want to have a seat."

He added:

"So, you have four targets and you need to find a compromise between those four to make sure that you put everything together in the best possible way.

"And that's why I don't like the junior team bit, because being successful on track, [and] commercially, is something that comes first."

VCARB has often had one experienced driver and another less experienced driver, with the latter learning from the former. This explains why Ricciardo was hired last year, although he wished to move up the ranks to the Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen. Bayer added:

"Now, ideally, we do that by having one experienced driver and a young one. I've seen it last year with Liam, I saw it this year with Yuki. You put an experienced guy next to these youngsters and they learn.

"They learn it's not necessarily about the speed they have, but it's about how to engage with the engineers. It's about how to react in certain situations, how to approach the weekend."

Hinting that VCARB is an independent team functioning on its own to achieve its objectives, especially with the active role of team principal Laurent Mekies, Bayer said:

"So, long story short, we do stand on our own two feet, we're investing heavily into facilities, into people.

"Laurent has completely turned the whole technical sporting team upside down. 

"So many people joined us, or will join us, actually, in an unheard, unseen, shaking the tree approach, and we will see the results of that only in the future."