Photo: Roger Gascoigne
Tim Tramnitz says that being signed by the Red Bull Junior Team is “a dream coming true” and has explained how the deal came about.
Tramnitz has become a full member of the junior team – rather than simply a Red Bull athlete – and signed a multi-year deal.
He spoke to Formula Scout in the paddock at Zandvoort ahead of the penultimate round of the Formula Regional European Championship, where he is currently third in the standings.
After an initial contact with Red Bull earlier in the year, “deeper talks with them started mid-season,” he said.
“After the summer break the deal came together quite quickly,” and before FREC’s visit to the Red Bull Ring in September, Tramnitz and his father visited Dr Helmut Marko in nearby Graz to sign the contract.
For Tramnitz, the decision was an easy one. “For sure you have to go through the contract,” he said, “but for us it was clear.”
“It was a really big moment for me and my father. Your whole career you’re working to get in touch with a F1 junior programme and especially with Red Bull, where I am a huge fan of Sebastian Vettel, it was kind of a dream coming true.
“We were really nervous meeting [Dr Marko] but it was a really nice talk with him and in the end, we were just really delighted to get the offer and sign the deal.
“There’s nothing to think about in the end. We were so sure when we heard that there was interest, we were just hoping to get to the next step. This is a huge opportunity for me.”
Red Bull had first shown interest back in 2021 during Tramnitz’s Formula 4 campaigns in Germany and Italy, where he finished runner-up to Ferrari junior Ollie Bearman.
“They were happy with my performances in F4 and maybe there would have been some opportunities at the end of the year,” before a freak testing crash at Estoril left him in hospital and put any talks on hold.
After a promising but ultimately frustrating rookie season in FREC with Trident, Tramnitz admits that he had “some explaining to do about last year, so maybe they were waiting a bit and seeing how things went this year but the results this year showed that the pace is there.”
Tramnitz is carrying Red Bull colours on his helmet at Zandvoort, although his R-ace GP entry will not carry Red Bull livery this season. However, “it looks like I will be in full Red Bull colours next year,” he said.
He ran with MP Motorsport in the FIA Formula 3 post-season tests at Jerez and Barcelona and is now expected to be confirmed for next season with the Dutch squad for 2024.
Earlier in the season, Tramnitz had admitted to concerns about putting together a budget for F3 and acknowledges that “without the support from Red Bull, for sure this would not be possible for us.”
Red Bull and Dr Marko are known for the high expectations from their juniors, but Tramnitz is not concerned. “Yes, Red Bull expect top performance but I am not going to step up to another category to drive in the midfield.
“Of course, I want to impress as a rookie and show my potential. For sure, there is pressure from their side to deliver but if you want to get to the top of motorsport you have to win so it doesn’t change that much for me in my head.”