Former Toro-Rosso co-owner Gerhard Berger believes the off-track saga that plagued Red Bull at the start of the 2024 Formula 1 season could have been “the beginning of the end”.
Red Bull and Berger go way back, with the Austrian being the first F1 driver the energy drinks company sponsored in 1989.
Then, in 2006, Berger became the co-owner of Red Bull’s sister team Toro Rosso as it made its debut in F1.
He later sold his 50% share back to Red Bull at the end of 2008 but historical ties and his personal connection with the late founder Dietrich Mateschitz remain.
As a result, he’s a viable candidate to share his thoughts on the off-track saga that clouded Red Bull at the start of 2024, whereby CEO and Team Principal Christian Horner was accused of misconduct by a female employee.
An independent investigation conducted by a King’s Counsel cleared Horner of the allegations, but that didn’t stop the likes of Jos Verstappen from claiming that Red Bull could fall apart if the team boss remained in power.
“It is often the beginning of the end when such issues are brought up,” Berger mused to Auto Motor und Sport.
“Formula 1 is so complex and so competitive that you can only succeed if everyone in the team pulls together, if everyone agrees and communicates well with each other.
“The Red Bull brand has always radiated cheerfulness and a cool image.
“All of a sudden, everything changed.”
Berger’s doomsday view of the off-track Red Bull saga tracks with speculation at the time suggesting the allegations made against Horner were a ploy to unseat him from his position of power within the team.
However, such a dastardly plan has clearly failed with Horner recently confirming his commitment at Red Bull is long-term, “absolute” and at least until “the end of the decade”.
Red Bull saga affecting communications – Berger
Still, despite Horner and Red Bull moving on from the unsavoury events at the start of last year that threatened to cause disruption in the ranks, Berger reasons there’s a hangover from this period.
This comes, he believes, in the form of communication, citing the Sergio Perez contract saga to back up his theory.
“Completely untypical for the team, there are no clear statements anymore,” he said.
“Let’s take Perez as an example. That he no longer delivers the performance has been seen.
“That they still gave him a contract again was not understood by anyone in the industry.
“There may have been reasons, such as marketing pressures or contractual obligations. But when things didn’t improve afterwards, they gave him three more races, then two more, and avoided making a decision.”
Berger concluded his remarks saying that the late great Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz ran a clearer line of communications in years gone by.
“I couldn’t see a clear line there,” Berger said. “In Mateschitz’s times, Red Bull was always famous for its clarity,” he concluded.
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