Chris, some of your info may be correct but I know about Red Bull first hand. You can't operate a F1 team for under 1M euros/year and expect to be competitive. Not when you consider car building, testing, team costs, transportation costs, etc.. and they all bring in well over 1 million euros per year. Look at what a F1 driver makes per year.......it's more than the Shoe does for his whole team.
The Red Bull sponsorship is indeed 800,000 euros and they do indeed have 40 rigs. If you look at just the Red Bull hospitality suite, it's three stories high, has a complete dining area on one level to entertain clients, has another hospitality area on another level and on the top level it is a complete computer area for the team to monitor the car, because you can't completely do it from the pits. The data is compiled on the third floor and the necessary data is transmitted to the pit area. It also has an elevator and is all on top of 4 rigs. You may not see all the rigs as they are very limited as to what they can have inside the track but they are there, same as in drag racing. At Pomona there were probably 30 additional rigs parked on the other side of the fairgrounds. They carry spares, etc.
That's probably why you will never see all the rigs Red Bull has. Moving from country to country like they do they have their own fab shops, engine shops, etc in their trailers. The logistics are amazing. Don't know about any other teams but I do know about Red Bull. All the rigs are not at the same place at the same time. They work somewhat like the Rolling Stones or other concert groups. When on concert the Rolling Stones have 20 rigs in operation at all times. 10 are for the current venue and the other 10 are at the next venue setting things up. They hip hop all over that way. How do you think they can do a concert at one location on one weekend and the following weekend somewhere else.
I have a very good friend that is an executive at Red Bull Beverage and he has shown me pictures of their rigs, shops, etc. and has very openly discussed what Red Bull is paying per year. It is absolutely amazing.
Just the Red Bull sponsored HTK motorcross team will field three rigs next year - and that's just motorcycle racing.
Another big one is Monster. They are trying to catch up with Red Bull. Monster is bigger in the US but not worldwide.
Red Bull puts out a tremendous amount of $$'s each year for motor sports and F1 is their major outlay.
I would love to know what Forest Lucas puts out for drag racing, boat racing, sprint car racing, midget racing, off road racing and almost any other type of racing in this country, additionally he owns some of the tracks, it isn't small $$'s.
