Red Bull chief discusses F1 RETIREMENT amid team struggles

Red Bull

Red Bull chief discusses F1 RETIREMENT amid team struggles

It has been a difficult year for Red Bull

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 10 September 2024 19:57

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A Red Bull chief has hinted at his plans to retire from Formula 1 as the team attempt to remedy their performance issues from Monza.

It has been a torrid year for the six-time constructors' champions, who have had to contend with difficulties on and off track.

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Earlier this year team principal Christian Horner was accused of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ by a female colleague, but was cleared of any wrongdoing following an internal investigation.

However, the fallout from the controversy has left an enduring impact on the team, with Horner and Max Verstappen’s father, Jos, 'no longer on amicable terms' after the Dutchman suggested the issue would ‘tear the team apart’.

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Red Bull have also lost two key figures within the team with Adrian Newey departing and Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley moving on to become Audi team principal.

If this was not enough for the team to contend with, Red Bull have also suffered a significant decline in performance over the past few races.

The team have not won a race since the Spanish GP, and Verstappen found himself nearly 38 seconds behind race winner Charles Leclerc at Monza.

Red Bull’s persisting woes have done nothing to quell rumours that a move to Mercedes could be on the cards for Verstappen, if not for next year then for 2026 and beyond.

It was even suggested that team chief Helmut Marko would also make the move to Mercedes, however both him and Verstappen have asserted their allegiance to Red Bull for the time being.

In a recent interview with Formule1.nl Marko discussed how long he intends to remain at Red Bull and hinted towards his retirement.

“I’m not getting any younger,” Marko said.

“My contract runs until 2026, but as long as I’m physically and mentally able to do my job, I’ll continue. I still enjoy it, but of course I’ll withdraw more and more and hopefully find a good successor.”