Toyota Vs Red Bull

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I found this article on the sportnetwork.net site

Red Bull has been aggressive and wise about how it is building up its team for success in F1. They have hired a lot of good people, including Humphtery who worked with Olivier Panis and Gianfranco of Logistics from Toyota. Of course, most of the top talent from teams like Renault and McLaren are finding their way at Red Bull. Somehow, I can't blame them. The pay is good, the atmosphere seems fantastic and the job there is challenging yet almost guaranteed to be successful given the money that Red Bull has and is willing to spend. Just about every other team is keeping a more than whatchful eye at Red Bull, and I believe that aside from Honda, Red Bull, too is a direct competitor to Toyota.

Like Toyota Red Bull is very much determined and motivated to succeed. Both are rather marketing oriented. And of course, both are unafraid to use the checkbook to meet their goals. In my opinion though, Red Bull has been slowly gaining the upper hand, although the results do not show as yet. I think they have learned from Toyota's mistakes and could go head to head with the champions or with Toyota with less mistakes and probably less money spent, too.

First off, Red Bull didn't start from scratch. They already had a solid foundation to begin with, and most importantly, they already had a sensible car built by a sensible technical team. They shuffled around and fired some people, but their technical structure was already in place. When Toyota started they did a lot of preparations - costly preprations - and yet they didn't have a proper Technical Director in place until their third year of racing (and fourth year of existence.) I think that was a costly mistake that hurt them massively. Gustav may have had brilliant design ideas in mind, but he and the entire team didn't have anybody to them pull together in onde direction. Perhaps Toyota expected too much from Gustav Brunner, himself more of a designer (hence, appropriately being appointed Chief Designer), less of a manager.

Score for Red Bull, too, for remaining in Milton Keynes, where other teams (and other talents) are just a drive away. Toyota insisted on Germany, where costs and salaries are higher, and where talents would have to relocate and miss their usual sanctuary in England. Small surprise that though Toyota has the money to burn for salary, top talents who wish to leave their current teams offer themselves first to Williams, BAR, Renault, etc. Toyota is the last choice, if it was a choice in the first place. BMW will also have a difficult time attracting personnel to transfer to Hinwil.

Red Bull also did well in placing a well known, and probably well respected Team Principal in the name of Christian Horner. Ove Anderssen and Tsotumo Tomita are probably just as great as Christian Horner, but I guess Horner wins through his overall image - that of a young, dynamic person who seems popular even to the lower, younger ranks, without sacrificing business acumen and crediblity to other veteran principals, journalists, and even audiences.

Toyota didn't do any of that silly driver-rotation system of Red Bull, but they did wipe out clean their line-up immediately for their second year. I think it would have been wise to retain one of the drivers, or at least the test driver even just for continuity's sake. And upto now, the Mika Salo - Allan McNish lineup remains suspect to me, as it is a Finnish-Scot pairing incidentally too similar to McLaren's. Not to mention the attention that the "Mika" name harbors from the F1 world. Toyota refused to sign a top name driver for a long time despite their budget; their reason being that a top driver will only add unnecessary pressure to the team. I think that didn't do them well, as they only lacked a proper picture of their car as a result of not having a really good, fast driver. Not to look down on Salo's credentials - the man did drive for Ferrari but most of his time in F1 was spent journeying around midfield contenders. Red Bull hired a charismatic and marketable top driver (or a driver from a top team - however you want to call him) right away in David Coulthard and Red Bull continues with this veteran and his 2005 partner in 2006.

Apart from hiring Mike Gascoyne Toyota mostly continues to groom its own talent while Red Bull chooses to 'shop' from other teams. I really like stories of building up success and it would be fun to watch Red Bull and Toyota eventually win world championships. I remain a loyal Toyota man but I am just as excited to witness history in the making as after many years again an independent team is making its way to the top of Formula 1. Time will tell how and which of these two new faces in modern F1 - the richest auto maker or the cash machine energy drink company - will beat all odds and competitors and prove their own separate distinct ways towards winning success.

*****

This RB2 is the work of ex-Renault designer Mark Smith. This could be the ultimate dark horse or the ultimate surprise of 2006, and I don't think we still have to wait for Adrian Newey for good points finishes. Smith knows how to build a good car from his recent Renault days, and the Milton Keynes people in the last couple of years have produced a decent car around a Cosworth - they now have a Ferrari - engine, with a small budget. Newey of course, will only make the package even better, along with the second wind tunnel they will soon have running. I admire Red Bull's mindset, and that is why I fear them and their potential. And the car looks very modern, and very sexy! Just look at those sidepods!

Its a very interesring article.