Explained: New Red Bull boss’ 15-minute conversation

Mintzlaff met Helmut Marko, the Red Bull F1 consultant, as the 2022 season wound down for a 15-minute introduction.

Red Bull have won back-to-back drivers’ championships thanks to Max Verstappen and won this season’s constructors’ championship but the future of the overall company now has question marks attached to it due to the passing of its founder, Mateschitz.

Marko told Bild that new boss Mitzlaff did not attend the postseason Red Bull celebrations: “He had announced himself in advance and wanted to stop by as part of his acclimatisation to the new position. But he wasn't at the party.

“Naturally [I knew of him]. I knew that Oliver had done a very good job in football in Leipzig and New York. Although I am neither an expert nor a fan of the sport, Dietrich and I have regularly exchanged ideas on various topics.”

Marko revealed about his first meeting with Mintzlaff: “It was more a general meeting over a coffee, rather than negotiations about the future of the racing team. There would have been no time for that. We only sat together for 15 minutes.

“Our biggest plus has always been that we have many bright minds who do not need a meeting with the Supervisory Board before something is initiated. We'll see what that looks like in the future. How we divide up and what role Mr. Mintzlaff plays in this, we will discuss in the coming weeks.”

Marko insisted that Red Bull are not worried about a change of direction: “No, not at all. Our success speaks for itself. No one has to worry that Red Bull will soon disappear from Formula 1. We are far from finished with our mission. We want to win more races and titles!”