The last eight months have been extremely turbulent for Red Bull. They began the year with off-track controversies surrounding Christian Horner, only for their on-track decline to take centre stage immediately after. According to Helmut Marko, the defending Champions have lost key personnel in 2024.
Red Bull instability leads to the departure of key staff – Helmut Marko
Senior personnel are leaving Red Bull
Red Bull are entering a crucial period, both regarding their current Championship aspirations and long-term trajectory.
There is no shortage of discussion about the RB20’s decline, with Max Verstappen ringing the alarm about its poor handling characteristics.
Upgrades are still being researched and designed in the factory, meaning the RB20 will likely receive no new components until round 19 of the season in COTA.
This means the next two races in Baku and Singapore, two atypical street circuits, could become a question of damage limitation for the defending Champions.
Putting aside Red Bull’s lack of pace, the last twelve months have seen a series of senior engineers leave Milton Keynes. Adrian Newey is the most notable exit, but others (like Rob Marshall’s move to McLaren) are also taking place.
Helmut Marko was asked about the situation at Red Bull, including the impact of the controversies surrounding Christian Horner.
“It’s clear that something like that doesn’t help,” he told OE24.
“But ultimately, it’s not directly related to our technical problems – but to the departure of important people.
“If certain employees want a change and receive a good offer or see a new opportunity, then they take it.”
Red Bull work to prevent their decline
As Toto Wolff explained at the Italian GP, it would be premature to write off a Red Bull recovery. The last twelve months have seen F1’s pecking order change dramatically, especially as the margins at the front have narrowed.
McLaren’s development trajectory is undoubtedly impressive, but the Austrian squad can recover their deficit with a relatively small step forward.
The question is whether Red Bull have fundamentally understood what is holding them back. After all, the RB20 has been affected by the same limiting factors for several months.
With Ferrari and Mercedes also contenders, one bad weekend can see Max Verstappen drop outside of the top 5 – which can have significant consequences in the championship.
In combination with these short-term concerns, Red Bull must ensure they avoid any further internal instability – especially given Toto Wolff’s persistent interest in signing the Dutchman.
