F1 boss no-show at Red Bull launch was to avoid “wrong message” to Mercedes

The F1 boss was announced as a guest on-stage in New York as Red Bull launched their RB19 last Friday, but didn’t emerge, leading to an embarrassing back-track.

Domenicali was backstage at the event, and had travelled into New York with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

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Max Verstappen, who was on stage during the funny no-show, laughed and pointed to where he thought Domenicali was.

Domenicali made a “last-minute decision” not to come out on stage because he feared giving the “wrong message” to Red Bull’s main rivals Mercedes and Ferrari, ESPN report.

He also opted not to “steal the limelight” from the Ford partnership announcement.

Mercedes and Ferrari are yet to launch their 2023 machinery which they hope will deliver a drivers’ championship to Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc, and the constructors’ championship.