The atmosphere at Red Bull Racing continues to grow increasingly tense, and now Ralf Schumacher has weighed in with harsh criticism. The former Formula 1 driver and pundit, speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, openly criticized the team’s management, calling it a “headless team” and claiming that Dietrich Mateschitz, the founder of the Austrian giant who passed away in 2022, “would turn in his grave” upon seeing the current state of the team.
Ralf Schumacher’s comment comes after last Thursday’s announcement of Liam Lawson’s demotion to the Racing Bulls after just two races with the main team. In his place, alongside Max Verstappen, will be Yuki Tsunoda, Verstappen’s third teammate in four races. According to Schumacher, this move is a sign of total confusion in the team’s management: “Now they are completely in crisis. One driver has to leave, another has to come in. There’s no clear direction.”
Liam Lawson’s demotion and Red Bull’s management chaos
To make matters worse, key figures such as Adrian Newey (Chief Technical Officer), Jonathan Wheatley (Sporting Director), and Will Courtenay (Chief Strategist), who is leaving for McLaren, have departed. Meanwhile, with the 2026 season in mind, Red Bull is working on the development of its first in-house engine, further increasing uncertainties about the team’s stability.
Schumacher pointed out the internal pressure to keep Verstappen competitive: “Now they’re wondering if they’ll be able to make the car fast enough for Max, otherwise they fear he might leave.”
The former German driver was particularly critical of Helmut Marko, a historic figure in Red Bull management: “Dr. Marko sometimes plays an unfortunate role. He wants to encourage the drivers, but he puts them under pressure without giving them enough time.”
Finally, Schumacher defended Lawson: “Two races alongside Verstappen aren’t enough to judge. The car is difficult to drive, and that’s how you end up burning young talents.”
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