Towards the end of last season, the F1 world was shocked to learn that Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz had tragically passed away.
Mateschitz played a role in the careers of many, not just those involved in Red Bull as many in the paddock came out to share heart-warming stories about the late Austrian.
Following Mateschitz’s death, Red Bull have become led by a small group of individuals, with Oliver Mintzlaff heading up the team as the CEO of corporate projects and new investments.
The relationship between Mintzlaff and Red Bull’s chief advisor Helmut Marko has been strained since the very beginning, with Marko not agreeing with the management of the new CEO.
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Marko was very close to Mateschitz and has struggled to adapt to the new management structure, recently claiming that the new system lacks the personal touch that came from his relationship with Mateschitz.
Mintzlaff previously served as the CEO of German football team RB Leipzig and following the team’s devastating 7-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16, Marko could not resist making a dig.
“I think Mintzlaff is bust after Manchester anyway,” he told Sky Deutschland, cracking a smile in the process.
Marko has admitted that while his relationship with Mateschitz will never be replicated, his relationship with Mintzlaff could still work.
“You just can’t compare three months with 30 years. It’s a completely different relationship than with Mateschitz and probably always will be,” he said.
“Dietrich Mateschitz was a profound connoisseur of motorsport. We spoke together on a completely different level.
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“But that’s no reason to say that it doesn’t work.”
Red Bull’s off-track issues are perhaps starting to affect their on-track performance, as Max Verstappen was forced to retire from Q2 in Saudi Arabia with an engine issue.
Both Red Bull cars were forced to manage issues during the season opener in Bahrain, hinting that everything is not quite as perfect as it initially seemed with the energy drink giants.