Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is being held responsible for Max Verstappen's growing concerns about the team's future performance, with a former F1 driver warning that Red Bull are facing a 'critical' issue.
After a dominant 2023 season, Red Bull have struggled to maintain their edge, with Verstappen's fears intensifying as the team grapples with internal struggles and technical challenges.
One of Verstappen's major concerns is linked to the upcoming 2026 regulation changes, which will see teams develop new aerodynamic strategies among many other technical tweaks.
In the wake of Red Bull's decline, former F1 driver Christian Danner has revealed he believes that Verstappen fears the team could stagnate in 2025, especially if they are unable to resolve their current performance issues.
"His biggest fear is that next year, he’ll be stuck with the same underperforming car," Danner explained to Motorsport-Magazin.
This season has been particularly troubling for Red Bull, whose RB20 car is struggling with tyre degradation and drivability issues.
These problems, long faced by Sergio Perez, have now also affected Verstappen, leaving the team’s star driver frustrated.
"They’ve lost control of that balance," Danner said, adding that Verstappen’s lack of confidence in the car has become evident.
"The car doesn’t respond, and he’s not feeling it."
Red Bull have lost a number of key staff including Adrian NeweyJonathan Wheatley is another key Red Bull component parting ways with the team
Danner, whose own F1 career was tumultuous and ended abruptly, pointed to Red Bull's internal struggles as a major factor in their performance dip.
He noted that the departure of legendary technical director Adrian Newey and several key engineers has created a void that the team has yet to fill.
"Wherever Newey goes, they win. Wherever he leaves, performance drops," Danner said.
He suggested that Red Bull’s difficulties aren’t limited to the car itself but are compounded by the political and personnel changes within the organisation.
These issues, Danner warned, could have long-lasting effects if not addressed soon.
Max Verstappen hasn't won any of his last 6 races for Red Bull
Red Bull facing 'critical situation'
With both the drivers' and constructors' championships still in play, Danner stressed the urgency for Horner to act quickly to reverse Red Bull’s fortunes.
“Now it’s up to Christian Horner,”
“He needs to show how he can get this team back together in a critical situation.”
As Red Bull face mounting pressure, Verstappen's fears highlight the stakes at hand.
The team, once seemingly invincible, now finds itself fighting to stay in contention. With McLaren breathing down their necks in the constructors' standings, the question remains whether Horner can steer the team back on track before it's too late.
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