After its resurgence in 2021 with a drivers’ title victory, the Austrian team reached the peak of success before starting to struggle. Red Bull went through a real collapse, preventing it from consistently competing for victories.
According to former F1 driver Gerhard Berger, the team’s success was entirely in the hands of one person. Now that he is no longer there, the team has taken a direction that contradicts the working methods applied in previous years.
Gerhard Berger attributes Red Bull’s success to Dietrich Mateschitz. The brand’s founder always provided a clear working philosophy, but since his passing, this has not been strictly followed.
“It is well known that building something takes much longer than tearing it down. But no one ever thought everything would collapse just six months after Didi Mateschitz’s death. Often, when problems like these arise, it marks the beginning of the end.”
What has changed at Red Bull?
In his statements, Gerhard Berger elaborated on his perspective. He explained that the first major difference lies in driver management, particularly with those who fail to meet expectations. Over time, Red Bull’s leadership has shown little tolerance for underperformance—just look at how Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon were treated.
However, this approach has not been applied to Sergio Perez, who has spent four years at Red Bull, often disappointing the team while his teammate consistently fought at the front.
Gerhard Berger stated:
“It was clear that [Sergio Perez] was no longer delivering. The fact that he was still given another contract was not understood by experts. There may have been reasons, such as marketing commitments or contractual obligations.”
“But when things didn’t improve, he was given another three races, then two more, and the decision was postponed. I couldn’t see a clear direction. In the Mateschitz era, Red Bull was known for its decisiveness.”
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