Red Bull Racing was riding on can nine when they won 22 of the 23 race weekends in the 2023 F1 season. Such level of dominance was unheard of in Formula 1’s history, and the drink-based out were expected to add more laurels to their trophy cabinet at least until the 2026 season.
However, the extraordinary dominance ended in less than 12 months. Red Bull’s lead in the constructors title was reduced to 42 points halfway through the 2024 F1 season. The team, as a whole, appears on the verge of an unexpected fallout for the three big reasons below.
Red Bull Lost Key Personnel In A Short Time
Aero wizard Adrian Newey’s abrupt exit announcement ahead of the Miami Grand Prix left the F1 fraternity stunned. With 40 years of collective experience in motorsports, Newey had been the pioneer of Red Bull’s success. However, the aero wizard sought a break by terminating his existing contract, and what followed was a series of domino effects.
Sporting director and Christian Horner’s successor, Jonathan Wheatley, is set to leave Red Bull in 2025 to join Audi as their team principal. Moreover, as per rumors, Newey’s exit has promoted many other prominent engineers to seek a mass exodus. Needless to say, a quality and experienced engineering team is always the backbone of a successful F1 outfit, and hence, Red Bull is losing its edge in that area.
The Internal Political Turmoil
Christian Horner’s sexual assault case left Red Bull’s internal rift wide open. The team appeared divided into two halves, with Max Verstappen’s dad being against Horner’s presence in Red Bull. Additionally, Max’s mentor and senior advisor, Helmut Marko, is also at loggerheads with the team principal, leading to internal unrest. Despite a temporary truce, the atmosphere in Milton Keynes is far from ideal.
However, Horner’s job is secured due to backing from majority Thai owners. Regardless, while the team appears united from the front, the internal cracks are not hidden anymore, and any form of instability often leads to collapse. The turmoil is boiling and could burst open at any minute, thus hindering the existence of the drink-based outfit.
Max Verstappen’s Frustration Over Red Bull Racing’s Struggles
For Max Verstappen, a three-time world champion, the priority is always to drive the fastest car on the grid. And Red Bull no longer has the same to offer to Max as McLaren and Mercedes have covered massive ground this year to reduce the gap. Verstappen has been struggling to keep up, which is leading to frustration. That anger is getting translated into heated radio messages and public criticism of the team’s incompetence in development.
Moreover, with the 2026 engine regulation change on the horizon, Red Bull stands at a risk of falling behind in the pecking order due to a gamble with a homegrown engine project. Hence, with Mercedes actively pursuing Verstappen, the Dutch driver could be tempted to switch in 2026, which will undoubtedly be a disaster for Christian Horner and the company.
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