APRIL 23, 2005

Red Bull signs with Ferrari

Dietrich Mateschitz's desire to send a representative to the meeting last week in Paris is perhaps best explained by a press release which came out at lunchtime on Saturday when it was announced that the team will be supplied by Ferrari next year and in 2007. Red Bull Racing will thus replace Sauber as the Ferrari customer (in exchange for a considerable amount of money) and will presumably support Ferrari politically as well in the years to come.

This is a strange move for a team which has expressed its desire to be an independent voice in the F1 paddock but there is no doubt that it is a good choice for Ferrari, which can use the money, and for Red Bull, which can use the horsepower.

It is bad news for Jordan which had been tipped as a potential Ferrari customer and for Cosworth although the Northamptonshire firm will still be able to negotiate with Sauber and Jordan, in addition to Minardi. The problem is that unless there are two customers for Cosworth it is going to be difficult for the firm to justify the investment in F1.

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