Since Red Bull’s internal power struggle was exposed in early 2024, the relationship between Jos Verstappen and Christian Horner has been tense. Jos, the father of Max, has repeatedly criticised Horner’s leadership of the team. After a disappointing Dutch GP, the 52-year-old has renewed his attacks on the direction at Red Bull.
Jos Verstappen says Red Bull cannot “sugarcoat” situation
Verstappen sounds the alarm
Even before Norris took the chequered flag in Zandvoort last week, Red Bull knew the RB20’s advantage was a thing of the past.
McLaren have clearly been the fastest team since their Miami GP updates.
Over recent months, Mercedes – rather than Red Bull – have emerged with the package most capable of competing with the papaya squad.
In this sense, Red Bull did not learn anything especially new at the Dutch GP.
With that said, this does not detract from the genuine concerns about their development.
According to Jos Verstappen, the situation at Milton Keynes is desperate. He calls on Red Bull’s senior personnel to act:
“The team has taken the wrong turn several times,” he told BILD.
“Internally, you should hold up a mirror and not always sugarcoat everything.
“It’s time – if it’s not already too late – to question yourself. The good people are leaving the team.
“I’m very unhappy with what’s happening
“There is no way to sugarcoat it any more – the situation is serious. Max will not be happy with a car like this.
“Now it is up to [Christian] Horner to get the team back on track.”
Internal tensions persist at Red Bull
Unlike at the start of the year, when off-track controversy distracted from Red Bull’s dominance, the RB20 is now front and centre of discussions.
As mentioned previously on LWOS, the Austrian squad are in danger of falling even further behind.
McLaren are already a few steps ahead of Red Bull, whilst Ferrari have a large update package in the pipeline.
Mercedes are also a clear threat, with the W15 consistently matching or even outperforming the RB20 in recent months.
On a fundamental level, Christian Horner’s team is believed to be approaching a ceiling in development.
Considering that resources will be diverted to the 2026 regulations at the beginning of 2025, time is of the essence for Red Bull to reverse their trajectory.
If they fail to add performance in the coming weeks, next year’s car could realistically inherit some of this year’s limitations.
While an exit from the team before 2026 is off the cards for Max Verstappen, the situation at Red Bull is certainly worrying.
Both on the track and away from it, there are issues to resolve.
