Red Bull have become renowned for their hospitality at F1, MotoGP and MXGP Grands Prix but behind the tinted glass doors is an extremely complex and dedicated organization. We grabbed our pass to find out how it all works…
By Adam Wheeler
Red Bull’s vast wooden ‘Holzhaus’ dwarves the rest of the hospitality units in Grand Prix paddocks. When the monolith isn’t towering over visitors to F1 or MotoGP then Red Bull still cut quite a figure with their spotless ‘350’ unit and reputation for first-class service. This kind of corporate entertainment is not solely a provision for the race team staff, management, VIPs and posh guests: it also serves for business meetings, media work, activations and promotion events. It is a versatile ‘bolthole’ away from the pitboxes and team office trucks where the ‘other side’ of racing exists: the kind that often ensures that the rest of the show is paid for and planned. For instance, Red Bull KTM have used the hospitality base to sign and publicize significant rider contracts in MotoGP.
It's almost needless to say but the crew - and the work - needed to ensure Red Bull’s commitment to their investment at the highest levels of motorsport requires a special force and effort. Behind the saliva-inducing food and aroma of fresh coffee there is a tight logistical operation because, between the three series, it’s a packed agenda of transports, staff, supplies and labor. One championship alone is already a heft. “This job means 200 days a year away from home and 24-25 weekends,” smiles Andrea Rancan, the 43-year-old Red Bull Hospitality Manager for MotoGP.
The Italian has been part of the company for twenty years and has seen first-hand how the hospitality needs have grown for MotoGP. “We started to support the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup initially and that was only seven races! Then in 2017, when KTM started in MotoGP, we began to cover the whole season; there were 16 GPs then and now we are up to 22 with 8 overseas and 7 Rookies events. Then it grew for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 satellite team and Red Bull KTM Ajo in Moto2 and Moto3 so it is quite a busy scene in Europe, especially when there are Rookies.”
Rancan is based in the Red Bull Energy Station Department in Oberwang, Austria. It’s the HQ, and the place where the map of the world and a large wall calendar are the principal guiding tools. “Most people think we start work in March…when actually we start in the winter or even the previous year,” the Italian explains. “We have two different plans: Overseas and Europe. In the office are six-seven people who do mobile assets, so all the logistics for the two hospitalities: the Holzhaus when we have a big event or MotoGP when there are Rookies, therefore it will be used for us five times in 2025, then a smaller unit that is faster to pack-up and used for back-to-back events. It’s called ‘Energy Station 350’, because it’s 350m2! Overseas we go with a container set, so we prepare everything like tables, chairs, buffet elements, coffee machines, coolers, kitchen equipment and a dishwasher! We pack up to five sets to cover the overseas races. The one that we used in Qatar 2025 was used for Japan 2024 and will go back to Japan this year before returning to Austria.”
The new Energy Station department in Oberwang, roughly 30 minutes from Salzburg, is large. It’s a staging point where the hospitality structures are opened and remain erected. The Holzhaus, that takes three days to build, has needed this abode since it came into existence in 2017. “We have a crew of five permanent people who are maintaining it all year,” Rancan says. “In the winter they will be checking water pipes and waxing the wooden floors and making some changes for the following season.”
Flights, freights, trucks and travel. Then construction. Red Bull’s crew will be at a MotoGP Grand Prix as early as Monday to park, unbox, assess and begin preparations. The actual process of providing the hospitality – the welcome, the food, Red Bull products, the refreshments and the sanctuary from racing – then starts. “For overseas GPs we are 9 staff. At the first European Grand Prix and the first for the Holzhaus we will be more than 30,” Rancan reveals. “It means we can serve more people but also have more resources to get the material and deal with logistics. Overseas we will have 4 people in the kitchen and in Europe it will be 9, so more than double. The overseas guys will do every race. We have a good base. We work with a company called Opus Catering who is our catering partner for the staff and they manage MXGP for us. We train people and try to keep them with us.”
Rancan says recruitment (like in most job sectors) is “the most challenging part of the job.” Hospitality starts one hour before breakfast and runs all the way past the evening meal. “When you have good people then you are lucky,” he continues. “You need to select and train people. Hospitality is a nice environment but you still also need to work; you don’t travel for fun. Long days, long hours and we work for a premium brand so we need to deliver what the company expects from us. We try to deliver that premium hospitality service.”
For those lucky enough to be able to enjoy the coffee or the buffet and the chance to rub shoulders with the MotoGP stars and celebrities then Rancan and his team must create the right ambience and ensure the quality of the goods on offer. The hospitality is also a resource for MotoGP team staff and the riders themselves who count on the kitchen for the key ‘fuel’. For people who have wondered what delicacies are conjured inside a Red Bull Energy Station then read on.
Rancan: “We try to go simple with the food but when people travel they also like to try the local dishes. First of all, we want to stay safe with the hygiene, so we aim for medium-high quality products. Most of them will be European, and we have to pay more for those to be imported. Usually it is quite a simple menu with at least two choices, for example there will always be a pasta, a salad corner, fish and meat, fruit and then dessert. The riders have a special menu. We work with the APC [Athlete Performance Center] to follow their schedule. Normally they will eat two hours before the race. White rice, plain pasta, chicken was the standard menu ten years ago, now it has changed a bit and we can serve wraps, fried potatoes, and in the morning, they’ll be eating Greek yoghurt and fruit. We have to give some variety, otherwise it’s boring. Then there are gluten-free options. We never try to elaborate too much and have things like lobster or shellfish. This is still a working place and we are here to support the team. They need to have a place to stop, relax and get away from the stress in the garage.”
“We have to take care with our supplies and quantities,” he carries on. “The ‘dry’ stuff we can store and move to the next race. For the other disposable goods - Dorna [Sports, MotoGP promoters] have been really good with this in the last year – there is a company that comes to pick up all the leftover food for charity. Every race they come. We also take care of the guest program for the hospitality and for KTM as well, so when they arrive on site we explain where they have to go and what they have to do,. Most the people are here for quite a lot of the day and are really happy to have lunch near their heroes.”
Some Grands Prix are busier than others. The Qatar GP in the luxurious confines of the Lusail International Circuit can be quite calm but the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring is an example of the scale being ‘turned up to 11’. Rancan’s eyes widen when I mention the fixture at Spielberg. “Austria is the craziest because we have a big activation, around 3000m2 in total and will be between 65-70 people working there. We host more than 1000 guests per day…”
Andrea is a family man with two young kids at home but he is constantly busy and roaming the hospitality facilities at all MotoGP races. “I like what I am doing, so I try to do it in the best way…even if it means a lot of weekends away from home. We know the work/home balance is important and it is tricky to manage because this job is demanding. With KTM we always work together. We don’t see Red Bull and KTM as separate companies. Yes, we are a sponsor of the team, but we also try to support them as much as we can.”
With all the spotless surfaces, large TVs, efficient and friendly service and satisfied stomachs; the subject of how Red Bull can make their offering any better is an interesting one. “To maintain means to improve,” Rancan insists. “So, we always try. We might put some new ingredients for the buffet sometimes, and we might change or use other food suppliers if we’re not that happy.
We are always searching for better products: that is our attitude in Red Bull, always looking forward.”
