Stefano Domenicali insists he will not use Red Bull as Ferrari’s template for success.
Asked to compare his reign with that of his predecessor Jean Todt, Domenicali said the Frenchman devised a structure with an “outstanding balance”.
“I am convinced that we are laying the foundations for an unbeatable structure,” Italian media reports quote him as saying.
“We will not have single men at the helm, like Red Bull with (Adrian) Newey. Rather, we will have a team,” added Domenicali.
The Italian’s McLaren counterpart, Martin Whitmarsh, acknowledged Newey’s contribution at Red Bull.
“Adrian is definitely a very important factor when we talk about success,” he told Die Welt newspaper.
“He beat us last year but before that it was us who beat him,” added Whitmarsh. “If his car wins he is raised up on a pedestal, but if he does not – and he sometimes doesn’t – then his skills are questioned.”
Former Ferrari and McLaren driver Gerhard Berger, who is very close to Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz, insists Red Bull has not set itself up for instant rather than long-term success.
“Red Bull has laid the foundation for longer term success,” he told APA news agency. “Vettel will not leave with the performance like he has, Adrian Newey is the best designer and he enjoys the conditions Red Bull gives him.
“Christian Horner was given his chance as a young team manager and so is very loyal, and Helmut Marko does a good job of holding the team together. So there is no reason for things to change for them,” added Berger.
Domenicali, however, doubts Lewis Hamilton’s recent claim that Red Bull will very likely start the 2012 season in a similar position of dominance.
“No, there are no guarantees,” he said. “Between us, McLaren and Red Bull, it will be open war.”
Source:GMM
