Ralf Schumacher criticizes Red Bull: “Without Max Verstappen, they would be in mediocrity”. Ralf Schumacher has strongly criticized Red Bull’s management of drivers.

The Red Bull crisis masked by Max Verstappen
What is the real Red Bull? Is it the one led by Liam Lawson in the first two races of 2025 (and now to be taken over by Yuki Tsunoda), or the car that Max Verstappen managed to bring into the top-4 in three out of three races? As the list of “failures” from Milton Keynes alongside Super Max grows, the answer tends to lean towards the first possibility. Sergio Perez, before his time at Red Bull, was a solid driver; Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon have proven to be valuable elements both before and after, who could easily be in F1; it only took Liam Lawson 11 races to convince Red Bull to promote him.

Is it possible that everyone fails alongside Verstappen? Yes, it is possible, because Red Bull is a car that is built and developed according to the precise demands of the Dutch driver, whose “V” style prefers a car with strong front-end handling. And as long as Super Max delivers the stunning results we’ve grown accustomed to, it’s right for Red Bull to follow him. What’s less right is that young drivers aren’t given time to grow: the recent rejection of Liam Lawson after just two races (at tracks he had never competed at before) is just the latest example of an internal management approach that risks sacrificing another potentially interesting element on the altar of Max Verstappen.

Ralf Schumacher’s words
In this regard, Ralf Schumacher didn’t hold back in criticizing the team’s leaders: “As much as I like him and give space to young drivers, Helmut Marko demands too much from them. He doesn’t give the drivers the time they need to perform,” said the German to Sky Deutschland. “Two races alongside Max Verstappen are not enough; the car is quite difficult to drive, and you’re not doing the young drivers any favors.”

“At this moment, Red Bull is a team without a leader, where calming controversies is a daily task,” Schumacher continued. He then added: “Red Bull would be in anonymity and mediocrity without Verstappen, who constantly saves them from difficult situations. And then there’s the management of the drivers: Marko is the one who backs Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda, but neither of them is too popular with Christian Horner.” The team principal was the last to “abandon” Perez in 2024, even defending him during the most difficult moments. And perhaps, if the alternative was to let Lawson race and risk burning him out, the British team principal was right.