The end of domination: Is Red Bull becoming desperate?

[FrukostScones]

The end of domination: Is Red Bull becoming desperate?

Red Bull is not the undisputed No1 anymore when it comes to qualifying- and race speed.
In season development seemed not their biggest strength in the past.

Will the Marketing-Empire strike back?


Setbacks so far this year:

-Exhaust rules make it much more harder to blow and seal the diffuser on the sides.

-this leads to less rake and therefore the frontwing sits higher above the ground

-harder tests don't allow much frontwing flexing anymore

-the Red Bull version of the F-duct rearwing was illegal (source AMuS)

-alledegdly one exhaust iteration (I don't know which and why)of Red Bull was illegal (source AMuS)

-Webber seems to be as good in qualifying as Vettel

-Vettel is a bad loser and his temper might be a problem, he is a hothead and this the reason he and Red Bull already lost big points

-Horner is a bad loser

-Marko is a bad loser

-Webber is quick but in case of a complete Vettel meltdown I doubt that he is there to score


beta 1.01 sorry for my garbled English

[raymondu999]

I think the last race, and the second half of 2010, showed us that it's unwise to write anybody off.

[Lycoming]

We're only 2 races in. Alonso leads the championship in what is obviously an noncompetitive, midfield-at-best car.

What makes you think that what we've seen so far is representative of how this season will go?

Also, I dispute the following:

-Vettel is a bad loser and his temper might be a problem, he is a hothead and this the reason he and Red Bull already lost big points

-Horner is a bad loser

-Marko is a bad loser

I wouldn't call him a hothead with a temper problem. Granted he was REALLY pissed, I mean more than normal about what happened, but thats probably just because it was an HRT. In truth it was very similar to what happened at turkey, including the part where he feels he was not responsible. but in any case everybody gestures angrily when backmarkers --- up your race, its not he sudenly needs anger management now.

Horner is a bad loser? how? He's probably dissapointed about being behind Mclaren, but if you aren't, you don't belong in the paddock.

Well I generally dislike the man, but I don't get where that one comes from either.

[chepoi]

"Red Bull is just a drink company............" a cliche statement.....

[FrukostScones]

"Red Bull is just a drink company............" a cliche statement.....

Red Bull is a Formula 1 team.

[myurr]

-Vettel is a bad loser and his temper might be a problem, he is a hothead and this the reason he and Red Bull already lost big points

-Horner is a bad loser

-Marko is a bad loser

I wouldn't call him a hothead with a temper problem. Granted he was REALLY pissed, I mean more than normal about what happened, but thats probably just because it was an HRT. In truth it was very similar to what happened at turkey, including the part where he feels he was not responsible. but in any case everybody gestures angrily when backmarkers --- up your race, its not he sudenly needs anger management now.

I don't think it was because it was an HRT, I think it's because he knows he's not got a dominant car and it's going to be a very tight championship where he shouldn't be throwing away points like that.

And he's got a terrible temper when he comes under pressure and fails to deliver, especially where he thinks it's someone elses fault.

[Pup]

The only substantive evidence for this might be that the fragility of Newey's cars tends to show itself when the team is pushed. And I don't even know if we can say that for certain.

[Giblet]

We're only 2 races in. Alonso leads the championship in what is obviously an noncompetitive, midfield-at-best car.

One of the few things in the thread that can be said with 100% certainty.

[bhall]

Red Bull is a Formula 1 team.

That's funny to me, because I rarely think of the company in any other way. I've had several, "Oh, yeah," moments upon seeing their drinks stocked on a shelf at the store.

At any rate, I wouldn't count out Red Bull Racing just yet. I think we're at a point with this formula where no team is likely to dominate. So, I think there's room at the top for a few contenders.

[Pup]

Red Bull is a Formula 1 team.

That's funny to me, because I rarely think of the company in any other way. I've had several, "Oh, yeah," moments upon seeing their drinks stocked on a shelf at the store.

I keep thinking that Red Bull is going to have a "Crocs" moment, when the world suddenly realizes that it tastes like crap and isn't at all good for you.

But then the world keeps proving me wrong.

But if it happens - and since the company has mind-bogglingly refused to diversify - then the money for all the sports franchises disappears.

[PlatinumZealot]

In the last two years, Red Bull's big benefit was in having a car on which they did not have to do much work at a race meeting. But in Malaysia, for the first time ever, I saw them changing torsion bars, roll-bars, ride heights and so on.
They are obviously still trying to find their feet with their new car - there were not many times during the race weekend in Malaysia when they looked like the real opposition. They clearly have a lot of work to do.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/17544326

[thearmofbarlow]

I keep thinking that Red Bull is going to have a "Crocs" moment, when the world suddenly realizes that it tastes like crap and isn't at all good for you.

Much like coffee.

But if it happens - and since the company has mind-bogglingly refused to diversify - then the money for all the sports franchises disappears.

Given that Red Bull is a multi-billion dollar company with a 25 year history I'd say they're not in need of diversification. Their marketing is what keeps them going. You can't go anywhere without seeing some sort of Red Bull ad somewhere.

[markc]

... or seeing some sort of Red Bull event. Very diversified - planes, cars, bikes, skiing, extreme sports too. Then the fun ones like flugtag. Ultimately this sort of marketing approach ensures the success of Red Bull the drink (and its derivatives)

Mr Mateschitz is a marketing man, and understands its power.

With respect to lack of diversification: you could say the same about Coca-Cola, they produce a carbonated drink and spend fortunes on marketing so people chose their cola over the other brands (Red Bull have diversified to cola too). Coke have diversified to other carbonated drinks but carbonated drinks are their staple.

Oh and a note of caution on diversification / enhancing a successful formula: Coke changed their formula in response to the success of Pepsi, and taste tests. The result was badly received and nearly caused the downfall of Coke. BUT to their credit they converted a loosing position into a massive success by brining back the old formula as Coke Classic.

[Maelstrom]

It would be nice for the WDC and WCC fight go down to the last race.

If Ferrari get their act together and so does Mercedes and we see them winning regular podiums too then it would make for a very exciting season.

I don't think we have seen the best of Lotus either. I'm not saying they'll win the WDC or WCC but they could win a few points that could upset the apple cart.

At any rate its great to see that its not a one horse race anymore.

[Pierce89]

"Red Bull is just a drink company............" a cliche statement.....

Red Bull is a Formula 1 team.

Actually Red Bull is a drink company and Red Bull Racing is an F1 team(also a wholly owned subsidiary of Red Bull the drink company).

Mods: I'll be waiting on my off-topic warning.