The situation at Red Bull is far from ideal: Christian Horner, team principal of the Anglo/Austrian/Thai outfit, has been facing numerous issues, most of which began with a personal matter last winter, a well-known case that we won’t repeat here. This situation eventually brought to light other problems that had been simmering under the surface. Since then, both in his private life and within his F1 team, the atmosphere has become increasingly difficult.
A look at Red Bull’s on-track performance shows results far below the expectations set at the start of the season. While things with his wife appear resolved (they were photographed together in Bahrain, for the record), in terms of the sporting side—what truly interests us—things are not running smoothly. On the contrary, the Milton Keynes-based team has undergone a kind of “technical castration,” which has negatively impacted the reigning world champion team’s overall performance.
At least, that’s what it seems from the outside: despite the public statements suggesting that all is calm at Red Bull, the reality appears very different, with the team’s declining performance on track with the RB20. The team is no longer leading the Constructors’ Championship, and Max Verstappen is at risk of losing the Drivers’ title to Lando Norris, though the McLaren driver is doing everything not to take it from his friend and rival.
Jos Verstappen vs. Christian Horner: Everyone Leaving Red Bull
According to recent events, all is not well at Red Bull. The RB20 is not only no longer dominant but has, in some cases, been forced to settle as the third-best team on track. A clear example, without going too far back, would be the races in Monza and Baku. The car has struggled with several updates, notably the first ones without the supervision of the genius Adrian Newey, who chose to leave before the ship sank.
The British designer announced his departure on May 1st, and he is now on gardening leave before joining Aston Martin next March. This year’s car features very different, and evidently extreme, concepts that Red Bull’s engineers have struggled to master. The main engineer now facing difficulties is Adrian’s replacement, Pierre Waché, the man now in charge of the team’s technical direction.
Besides Adrian Newey, two other key figures have left the team recently. Jonathan Wheatley is headed to Sauber/Audi at the end of the season as team principal, and Will Courtenay, former head of strategy, has joined McLaren as sporting director. Let’s not forget the 2022 departure of Dan Fallows, who joined Aston Martin. While this is part of the usual turnover of engineers, there seems to be something more significant behind it all.
Red Bull and Horner: Jos Verstappen Warned Them…
Adding fuel to the fire, unsurprisingly, is Jos Verstappen. The father of the three-time world champion has been essentially banned from the Red Bull garage after his attacks on Horner following the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix, where Max won easily, and Sergio Perez secured second place. The two had a significant argument, with Jos predicting the team’s eventual downfall.
Following these venomous remarks, Jos was banned from the Red Bull garage, and in Austria, he launched another attack after Horner tried to sideline him during a historic car exhibition. This marked the continuation of a verbal war that Jos reignited recently, stating that everything he warned about is slowly coming true this season. Indeed, Jos’s “prophecy” seems accurate, suggesting he knew more than he let on.
“I warned them in advance, but the team responded with: ‘It doesn’t matter, we have someone else,’” Jos said in a recent interview. “Now, though, many people have decided to leave, and this raises even more questions. So yes, I think the current situation is not going in the right direction. And Christian Horner continues to avoid the topic.” This is a clear reference to the fact that Red Bull’s team principal has chosen to remain silent on these issues.
Thus, a new chapter in the Red Bull saga is unfolding: Jos’s words should not be underestimated, as his predictions are coming true. With the string of departures and the increasingly poor performance of the Red Bull cars, the team, having lost its lead in the Constructors’ Championship, is not faring well. Time will tell if Christian Horner will respond, but it’s not just Jos’s words—it’s the reality within “his” F1 team.
Leave a Reply