Exclusive: Red Bull sister team Racing Bulls not for sale despite persistent rumours

Racing Bulls is not for sale, sources within the energy drink manufacturer's high-level management have confirmed to RacingNews365, despite speculation to the contrary over the Faenza-based squad.

Due to Formula 1's surging popularity and the rapid growth in value of F1 teams, the midfield outfit would be a highly sought-after commodity, and there have been numerous rumblings over a potential takeover in recent years.

However, Red Bull — which is better known for having a team in the Austrian company's name — has rejected the possibility of a sale each time.

Last summer, there were reports of offers ranging between $1.5 billion and $2 billion, but the owners refused to sell the team that was built on the foundations of the Minardi, which it saved from collapse and extinction at the end of the 2005 F1 season.

And while interest in the sister team has not waned, Racing Bulls has found itself at the heart of the F1 newscycle in recent weeks, for several reasons.

Deals and offers

Following the Miami Grand Prix, a letter from McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem was leaked.

In that letter, the American urged for a swift resolution to the issue of multi-team ownership and strategic alliances in Formula 1, something he has been vocal about for some time.

Addressing the former, Brown cited the partnership between Red Bull and Racing Bulls as an example, whilst for the latter, he pointed to the collaboration between Ferrari and Haas.

As a result of the letter, rumours began to gather momentum that pressure was mounting on Red Bull to sell its second team.

There was also speculation that the F1 management would welcome a sale, too. On the one hand, it would eliminate the problem raised, and on the other, the sale of an entire team — a transaction estimated to be worth billions — would prove that the championship is financially stronger than ever.

According to RacingNews365 sources, despite the reports, there is no such intention or pressure by any party. Even if there were, it would not concern the owners, who believe they operate both teams in full compliance with the regulations.

It has been indicated that there is no shortage of interest and that Red Bull executives constantly receive offers, which are all in vain.

Potential buyers reportedly include American and Asian conglomerates, amongst others, and in recent weeks, rumours suggested that former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and his business circle were also among the interested parties.

Although the team could likely be sold for a record price, Red Bull's stance remains firm: there is absolutely no question of selling Racing Bulls.

Why is Racing Bulls worth keeping?

The simplest and most logical answer to this question of why the sister team is worth keeping could be that F1 has never been a better business than it is right now, and Racing Bulls not only covers its own costs but also generates a profit.

However, other factors are far more important.

For instance, the revenue from selling the team would scarcely interest the Austrian company because, according to Bloomberg, it increased its sales by ten per cent from 2024 to 2025, reaching 14 billion cans sold worldwide.

This marks its strongest growth in the past few years, showing that the Red Bull product is soaring — and marketing plays a major role in this, as it long has done for the parent company and its wide-ranging sports empire.

This includes Racing Bulls, alongside Red Bull Racing, especially given that it has used the Faenza-based squad to promote special and limited-edition versions of its energy drink in recent years.

In that spirit, the team has designed unique car liveries on several occasions to match new special-edition versions of Red Bull, and those liveries have been a huge success amongst F1 fans.

Another important aspect is that Racing Bulls preserves the opportunity to nurture and develop young drivers, with the highly-rated Arvid Lindblad alongside Liam Lawson in the VCARB 03 this season.

At the same time, perhaps the most crucial factor is the new power unit project, Red Bull Powertrains (RBPT).

Starting this season, Red Bull is racing with its own power unit, which has been created in partnership with American car giant Ford.

The new power unit is performing much better than expected, but since it involves highly complex technology and it does not currently have an external customer team, it is particularly important that RBPT can work with two teams on development.

So, whilst the rumour mill continues to turn, Red Bull is not considering selling Racing Bulls, for a myriad of reasons.