Once upon a time, there was Red Bull. Max Verstappen is currently trying to work miracles out on track, but the RB22 is proving incapable of even exploiting what the FIA deems the best internal combustion engine on the starting grid. The single-seater delivered by Pierre Waché remains heavily overweight—with substantial upgrades eagerly anticipated for Austria in a bid to improve the situation under this aspect—and has not managed anything beyond a lonely podium in Canada, a result that was arguably quite lucky when considering the chaos that engulfed George Russell and the two McLarens.
Jacques Villeneuve did not mince his words when describing a reality that is anything but rosy for the Milton Keynes squad. “It’s very difficult to see a positive future at Red Bull,” the 1997 World Champion stated to Sky Sports. “After riding the wave for a long time, they are sinking and they haven’t hit rock bottom yet. It’s no longer the crazy, fun, brave team that was always capable of turning a situation around. That spark has been lost, and people don’t even talk about their junior driver program anymore.”
Verstappen is the only soldier left standing at Milton Keynes
The outspoken Canadian emphasized that the structural changes within the team’s hierarchy have left the four-time world champion completely isolated at the front of the battle lines.
“They must try at all costs to retain Verstappen because he is the only ‘soldator’ saving the team,” Villeneuve added. “Max arrived when the team was already built, but recently they got rid of practically everyone and only Verstappen is left. Max is not a designer: he is great at developing a car and identifying what is needed, but he still needs the people around him. Everything has been destroyed in a way and needs to be rebuilt, but how will it be rebuilt?”
In conclusion, Jacques Villeneuve’s scathing critique sheds light on the deep operational vulnerabilities currently fracturing Red Bull’s technical stability. As structural departures leave the team exposed, the immense burden of carrying the squad rests squarely on Max Verstappen’s shoulders, proving that even the most exceptional driving talent requires a stable engineering foundation to keep a championship campaign from completely unraveling.
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