Red Bull have enjoyed a significant amount of success since they bought the Jaguar Formula 1 team and joined the grid for the 2005 season.
The Austrian team brought an instant injection of enthusiasm to the paddock amongst a very corporate world.
Red Bull struggled in the opening few years as they lacked the raw speed to get on terms with McLaren and Ferrari but won their first Grand Prix in 2009.
They have had success with junior drivers developed through their academy. This has been a significant part of Red Bull’s approach to F1.
Both multiple world champions Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel were developed by Red Bull under the watchful eye of Helmut Marko.
The Austrian team have had some less competitive drivers in their academy. Mark Gallagher explained to the Flat Chat podcast that Red Bull introduced one surprising driver to him as a potential F1 champion.
Mark Gallagher revealed Red Bull introduced Scott Speed to him as a ‘future world champion’
Speed enjoyed a difficult stint in Formula 1 after rising through the junior categories to reach the highest level.
He had impressive results in his junior career, winning two Formula Renault championships in 2004. The American also finished third in GP2 a year later, a series dominated by Nico Rosberg and Heikki Kovalainen.
Red Bull backed the 2004 Formula Renault 2000 Germany champion and he became a test driver for the Formula 1 team that year.
Speed spent one and a half years in F1 at Toro Rosso, which is Red Bull’s junior team. He lacked raw speed and was dropped after the European Grand Prix in 2007 for Vettel.
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The German was an instant improvement and impressed by finishing in fourth place at that year’s Chinese Grand Prix.
Speed didn’t score a point in his F1 career and Gallagher gave his thoughts on the Red Bull programme and his introduction to the American.
He said: “The thing that I’ve always felt about it is that although Helmut would… Obviously, he can spot pretty good talent I think there’s no doubt that they just playing the numbers game.
“If they throw enough talent at the wall, there’s going to be sooner or later you’re going to find some really good ones. I mean, they’ve had some great successes, but they’ve also had some spectacular failures.
“I remember being introduced to Scott Speed and being told, ‘he’s going to be the next Formula 1 world champion’ with Red Bull, and that didn’t work out.”
Red Bull have decisions to make with their junior drivers
Red Bull have won championships with Vettel and Verstappen. Other drivers, such as Carlos Sainz have won races with other teams.
They also have decisions to make with their young driver, Liam Lawson. The New Zealander has impressed RB with his speed and decisiveness in wheel-to-wheel combat.
He is likely to be in Formula 1 next year, potentially alongside Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda at the junior team.
There may be an opportunity for Lawson alongside Verstappen, but Red Bull may be planning to sign Franco Colapinto, who is performing admirably at Williams.
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