F1 boss takes aim at Red Bull's 'politics' amid staff exit

Christian Horner, Helmut Marko, Bahrain Grand Prix, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News

F1 boss takes aim at Red Bull's 'politics' amid staff exit

A team boss has criticised the internal power struggle within Red Bull.

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 12 May 2024 14:57 Updated: 20:06

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A F1 boss has criticised Red Bull for their internal struggle and team ‘politics’.

Whilst Red Bull have dominated the championship with Max Verstappen, the team have been embroiled in difficulties off-track.

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Earlier this year, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was accused of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ by a female colleague, shrouding the team in controversy.

Following an internal investigation, Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing and the female employee was suspended.

Christian Horner and wife Geri display a united front amidst allegations

Max Verstappen and Red Bull have dominated the 2024 season thus far

Is there more trouble ahead for Red Bull?

As a result of the controversy, there have been reports of an internal power struggle between Horner and Red Bull director Helmut Marko.

Red Bull have also been wounded by the loss of their chief technical officer, Adrian Newey who will depart the team at the beginning of 2025.

Newey may not be the last Red Bull employee to leave, after McLaren CEO Zak Brown suggested his team had received CV’s from Red Bull staff.

There have been rumours about Newey moving to a rival team since he announced his departure, with names such as Ferrari mentioned.

It has also been reported that Newey may return to Williams, a team he served at from 1991 to1996, and designed dominant cars including Damon Hill’s championship winning FW18.

Williams team principal, James Vowles, discussed the likelihood of Newey returning to Williams, whilst making a subtle dig at Red Bull’s ‘politics’.

“It was a light conversation more than anything else, saying it can't have been an easy decision and fundamentally wanting just to have an additional chat about things,” he said according to the Express.

James Vowles discusses Adrian Newey's departure

“But from a Williams perspective, obviously, that's where Adrian really cut his teeth for the first time. And I think we're a team without politics.”

“It’s a small team that's trying to make our way back to the front. I think it could fit very perfectly for someone that wants to potentially dig into a challenge like that.

“More than that, I mean, what is great about Williams is that it has retained the family feel to it. We're not driven by an OEM.”

Red Bull Max Verstappen Christian Horner