Red Bull F1 News: CEO addresses concern over mass staff departures

Edited image of Horner, Newey, Wheatley and Marko all in black and white with Mintzlaff in colour and a red background — Photo: © IMAGO

Red Bull

Red Bull boss addresses concern over mass departures

Red Bull looks like an entirely different team

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 31 December 2025 09:12

Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff has addressed concerns over major departures at the F1 team.

The Milton-Keynes based outfit have lost a significant number of figures instrumental to their title success in recent years, including the likes of chief designer Adrian Newey, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley and, of course, former team principal Christian Horner.

Helmut Marko was the latest stalwart to leave, confirming his exit at the conclusion of the 2025 season, resulting in a team that looks entirely different to the one Max Verstappen won his first world title with in 2021.

Article continues under video

Red Bull CEO Mintzlaff delivered a rare interview to Dutch publication De Telegraaf following the news of Marko's exit, where he was quizzed on a range of topics, from Verstappen's future to Horner's departure.

Mintzlaff not concerned by Red Bull exits

The mass exodus of Red Bull personnel has led to concerns from fans over the team's future, particularly since Newey and Wheatley's exit coincided with the team's sudden downturn in performance last year.

When the concerns were broached by the interview however, Mintzlaff simply responded with: “Do you still think they are concerned, after the good performances of recent months?”

Despite McLaren's dominance, Verstappen managed to launch a late title challenge and finished two points behind champion Lando Norris, but this will mean nothing next year when the new regulations alter F1 cars dramatically.

Mintzlaff was pushed further on the departures, however, with De Telegraaf expressing concern over the rule changes in 2026.

“I'm not worried. Because I know we're replacing all those people in the right way,” Mintzlaff continued.

“In Germany and Austria, and perhaps also in the Netherlands, I see that people generally don't like change. But I do like it. Because I know it will make us better. And yes, that means stepping out of your comfort zone for a moment. I'm not going to change anything if I think everything is going well.”

“Last year, we already saw that things were going in the wrong direction. So you give the people in charge the opportunity to turn things around this year. I'm not going to suddenly take drastic action after two or three bad races. But last July was the right time to do what we did."

F1 HEADLINES: Red Bull star linked with shock exit as chief issues statement

F1 Red Bull Christian Horner Adrian Newey Helmut Marko Jonathan Wheatley