Verstappen blames F1 budget cap for Red Bull exodus

Max Verstappen has pointed to F1's budget cap as a contributing factor to the spate of big names who are due to leave Red Bull.

The triple world champion is set to part ways with a number of key players in his success.

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Though Red Bull lead both championships for the third consecutive year, it has been a tumultuous time off the track, with the investigation into Christian Horner - which recently concluded with the dismissal of his complainant's appeal - overlapping with the news that design guru Adrian Newey would leave the team in early 2025.

Over the summer break, more exits have been announced, and Verstappen has suggested the budget cap is impacting this.

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When Newey's involvement with Red Bull's F1 operation ends in the first quarter of 2025, the team will already be without sporting director Jonathan Wheatley.

The 57-year-old, who has been for Red Bull for just under two decades, will move to Audi to become team principal.

Engineer Frederic Cazals is also leaving the Milton Keynes-based outfit, and will join rivals Ferrari.

With Horner staying on as team principal - something which seemed externally to be uncertain at points during investigation into his conduct - that role is not available at Red Bull.

Verstappen has suggested that the lack of pathway at Red Bull may have been responsible for Wheatley's exit.

"With Jonathan, I have always had a very good relationship," he told media including GPFans at the Dutch Grand Prix.

"When you get an offer like that and your ambition is to move up... Yeah, there just wasn't that with us. That wasn't possible. He could stay in his role for as long as he wanted, of course, but he couldn't go higher."

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The Dutchman also referenced F1's cost cap, a measure introduced in 2021 in an effort to limit financial disparity between teams. Team principal salaries are usually not included, as the top three employees' pay is not subject to the limit.

Verstappen suggested that this could be another reason why Wheatley opted to move on.

"There [at Audi Wheatley] did get the opportunity to move up and when you've been with the team for so long you might start thinking about that.

"And, of course, the team's offer was also pretty good. When you're dealing with a budget cap you can't match that very easily from him being there, so like I said, no hard feelings."

Wheatley is set to leave Red Bull at the conclusion of the 2024 season, before commencing a period of gardening leave ahead of his Audi arrival.

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