Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher has not been shy to share his criticisms of Red Bull Racing, in particular its F1 boss Christian Horner.
The team currently sit fourth in the Constructors’ standings and cracks in their usual flawless execution are starting to show. Schumacher has shared his insights on the tensions throughout the team.
A worrying future for Red Bull
The departure of key personnel has prevalent since last season. Skilled team members who have contributed to Red Bull’s success from a range of departments have left for other opportunities.
Adrian Newey, the former Chief Technical Officer, and Jonathan Wheatley, former Sporting Director, are a couple of the most notable names to leave the team.
While this brain drain is surely affecting the team’s current performance, Schumacher spoke to F1-Insider about the cause of this. That reason being Christian Horner’s leadership.
In particular, Schumacher shared that keeping Horner as the Team Principal may cause issues for the future of the team as top talent will not want to work under him.
“The truth is: It’s not only key people who have left Red Bull because of Horner. There are also skilled technicians who do not want to move to Red Bull in the future as long as Horner is in charge.
In the future, top talent are likely to pursue opportunities elsewhere. Schumacher believes the impact of this will be so strong that he gave a warning to the reigning World Champion.
“Max Verstappen should take this into account when thinking about his future.”
How secure is Tsunoda’s seat?
Red Bull’s struggles are not limited to the loss of team personnel. Now over a third of the way into the 2025 Formula 1 season, Red Bull sit fourth in the Constructors’ Championship. The Milton Keynes-based team are paying the price for having only one driver able to consistently score points at the front of the field.
Liam Lawson started the season for Red Bull unable to score any points for the team. Yuki Tsunoda was soon promoted to the second Red Bull Racing seat. The team hoped that he would be able to perform closer to Verstappen.
However, Tsunoda has had similar struggles to Lawson. Tsunoda has earned a total of only seven points over his seven races so far for the team.
Speaking with Sky Germany, Schumacher shared how he believes Tsunoda’s future at Red Bull Racing is in jeopardy, making a quip about Horner’s own struggles during his racing career before making the transition to management.
“Well, maybe he has something in common with Christian Horner then.”
Horner losing his power
Ralf Schumacher is not alone in sharing his insights on the behind-the-scenes tension at Red Bull. F1-Insider expanded on their knowledge of the issues within the team.
They reported that Red Bull’s dissatisfaction is so strong within the team’s higher ups that they have started to limit Horner’s decision making power. They shared that the Team Principal has to get decisions approved by the team’s corporate headquarters.
Problems at the top of Red Bull management are no doubt affecting the team’s overall performance. From its unstable driver lineup to losing key personnel, the tension within the team will surely be a hot topic as the season unfolds.
