Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda says he’s disappointed by Red Bull’s decision to drop his name from turn six of the Red Bull Ring, formerly the A1-Ring.
The corner was named after the Austrian three-time champion following his 1984 victory and the corner name even survived Red Bull’s purchase and redevelopment in 2011.
However with the circuit gaining the rights’ to host the Austrian Grand Prix this year, the organisers have sought sponsors for each corner, hence turn six will now be known as ‘Pirelli’.
After being made aware of the change, Lauda said: “I’m very disappointed. I can only presume it is because I am now at Mercedes and we are beating Red Bull,” he told Kleine Zeitung.
“As punishment, Mercedes will be happy to celebrate a one-two in Spielberg,” he joked.
Meanwhile the former Gerhard Berger Kurve is now called ‘Wurth’ after the German tool company which has paid for the naming rights’.
