Red Bull F1 staff 'FLOCKING to rivals' in mass exodus

Horner and Brown with Verstappen — Photo: © IMAGO

Red Bull

Red Bull staff 'FLOCKING to F1 rivals' in mass exodus

The constructors' champions are facing a fight to hold on to their key personnel

Kevin McKenna

Friday 13 September 2024 10:02 Updated: 10:35

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Red Bull staff are reportedly flocking to their Formula 1 rivals as rumours of ongoing unrest persist within the team.

The reigning constructors' champions have endured a tumultuous season both on and off the track in 2024, with stories involving their star drivers and key team personnel dominating much of the headlines.

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Drivers' championship holder Max Verstappen has cut a frustrated figure throughout the campaign having come under significant pressure from Lando Norris to retain his title.

While the Dutchman continues to hold a healthy lead over his rival with eight races remaining, he has failed to consistently perform at his best.

Meanwhile, Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez has suffered a dramatic drop in form, and despite signing a new deal with the team, has come under pressure to hold on to his seat.

Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen have struggled for form in recent months

Design mastermind Adrian Newey has signed a deal at Aston Martin

Worrying times at Red Bull

The Milton Keynes-based outfit have also been dealing with a number of issues behind the scenes which have threatened to overshadow their campaign.

Earlier this season, team principal Christian Horner was accused of inappropriate conduct towards a fellow employee, resulting in an internal investigation being carried out which ultimately cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Then, the team was rocked by the news that their 13-time championship winning design guru Adrian Newey was to resign from his role, before sporting director Jonathan Wheatley announced he was leaving to join Audi.

McLaren boss Zak Brown previously revealed he had received a number of CVs from within the Red Bull garage amid reports that staff were unhappy, and it has now emerged that another team have recently poached a number of employees from their rivals.

Nico Rosberg has been speaking about the challenges facing Red Bull

Speaking to Sky Germany, former world champion Nico Rosberg said: "Many, many who seem to work at Red Bull, just send their applications to every team in the paddock.

"So that's the unrest that Ralf [Schumacher] just mentioned. That just shows up at some point in the performance on the racetrack."

Presenter Peter Hardenacke then added: "By the way, we also heard that from Williams yesterday.

"There were 20 people from Red Bull's aerodynamics department, who have just switched over to Williams - that also underlines it enormously."