Red Bull F1 loyalties questioned as team face staff exit crisis

Red Bull

Red Bull loyalties questioned as F1 team face staff exit crisis

Several key figures have left Red Bull F1 team recently

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 17 April 2026 09:57

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An F1 insider has said that Red Bull 'could do with a big name signing' as yet another of their key figures prepares to depart the team.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen's race engineer and head of racing at the energy drink giants F1 outfit, would be leaving the Milton Keynes-based squad.

Lambiase is instead joining McLaren, where he will become chief racing officer.

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Although the move won't actually take place until 2028 at the latest, the announcement of Lambiase's departure comes amid a plethora of other Red Bull exits in the last couple of seasons.

Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley left for opportunities with other teams, long-time team principal Christian Horner was sacked in July 2025, while Helmut Marko opted to retire from his position as motorsport advisor at the end of last year.

Now, Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft has suggested that the mass staff exodus is down to the fact that team members are beginning to think that other teams might offer them better opportunities, questioning if the team could still suffer from a further loss of loyalty.

Speaking on the F1 Show, Croft said: "They've lost a lot of staff now and not just the headline staff, but people underneath as well.

"One of the mechanics that's been there, the number one mechanic that's been there right from the early days left last week.

"It's not people deserting a sinking ship, but it's people thinking that their success in their careers can lie elsewhere outside of Milton Keynes.

"For many, many years that was never the case. People were loyal to Red Bull, loyal to Christian Horner and loyal to the overall game of winning championships. And look, Red Bull have not always been the most successful team on the grid. You know, it's peaks and troughs and at the moment they're heading towards a bit of a trough and need to recruit.

"They could do with a big name signing, but I don't know who that will be."

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Red Bull's fall from grace

Red Bull's sacking of Horner last year was down to the fact that they were sat in fourth in the constructors' championship, but they can only dream of being in that position right now.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit experienced a boost in performances in the latter part of last year which almost allowed Verstappen to claim a fifth consecutive title, but that has fizzled out in 2026.

Under the stewardship of Laurent Mekies, Red Bull have not started the new era of F1 off strongly, and are fast looking like a midfield team in 2026.

Verstappen has had a best finish of sixth so far across the three grand prix weekends, while the team are sat down in sixth in the constructors' championship.

Red Bull's status as one of the 'big four' teams in F1 could come under threat in the upcoming seasons, unless they can get their new power unit department in top condition and, as Croft said, stop losing key figures to other teams.