Red Bull to cut down their F2 driver contingent amid poor results

Red Bull have six drivers in F2, which is equal to the number of drivers they have in all other feeder series combined.

Red Bull to cut down their F2 driver contingent amid poor results

Christian Horner (Credits: Planet Sport)

Red Bull’s junior program has been a disappointment so far for the team. Six drivers are tied to Red Bull in Formula 2, with Ayumu Iwasa holding the highest position. He is currently third in the F2 driver standings. Red Bull chief Christian Horner addressed the downhill-going situation by saying that Red Bull plans to cut down on their investments in F2.

Horner said that they would be diverting their resources from F2 to lower feeder series, which consist of F3, F4, and Formula E. He told ESPN Unlapped, “We had a lot of drivers in F2 this year and that will be thinned out moving forward to refocus on some of the lower formulas.”

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Red Bull supporting six drivers is the highest number of drivers supported by a single team in F2 history. Red Bull now feels that this massive investment of theirs is not yielding the expected results and is now looking to different avenues in the search for young, promising talent.

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Christian Horner claims he and Red Bull are to be thanked for developing young talents for rival teams

Christian Horner with Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon
Christian Horner with Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon (Credits: Formula1News.co.uk)

Red Bull’s junior program has been seeing a lot of hits recently. The team’s recent announcement about cutting back from F2 and the hiring of Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo is evidence of their current predicament. Team principal Christian Horner has remained rigid in his belief that their junior program is a success and has even gone so far as to say their rivals should thank them.

Horner said Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, Williams’ Alex Albon, and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly are Red Bull graduates. Even though Albon and Gasly were fired ruthlessly in the 2019 season by Red Bull, he said that even if they did not have a place in the team, they are doing wonders elsewhere.

 “A Max Verstappen or a Sebastian Vettel, they don’t come along every season. So it’s just about making sure that you identify the talent when it does come along,” Horner told ESPN Unlapped.

Red Bulls are known to provide a very hard environment to their young drivers. The most recent display of this was the firing of Nyck De Vries from Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri, in just ten races going into the season.

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