Despite the heroics of Max Verstappen, 2025 is proving to be a year to forget for Red Bull Racing, and Christian Horner is unfortunately being framed as the lead antagonist of this entire saga. The British team principal was involved in a serious accusation led by an unnamed Red Bull employee earlier this year. While the shenanigans were eventually sorted with the help of a barrister, little did the Milton Keynes outfit know that the worst was yet to come.
Several reports hinted at a power struggle between Horner and the team’s senior-most employee, Dr. Helmut Marko, and this paved the way for an unhealthy atmosphere within the team. The lack of internal peace threatened to break the team apart, and now, the much-feared phase has officially begun for Red Bull. After journeying with the Milton Keynes outfit for nearly two decades, Adrian Newey has parted ways with the racing team with immediate effect.
🚨 | Jos Verstappen:
“The team is in danger of falling apart. I was afraid of that earlier this year.”
“For internal peace, it is important that key people stay on board. That is not the case now.”
“For the future that is not good.”#F1 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/FYELb432L8
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) May 1, 2024
Reason? Well, according to Sky Sports, Newey was hardly ever a fan of the power struggle and had since been seeking a way out of the team. Sadly for Horner and Co., one brings two. And in this case, the second individual to follow Newey out of Red Bull is likely to be Verstappen. On several occasions, the Dutchman has warned Red Bull against losing its course and deviating to internal conflicts. Well, that is exactly what’s happening now, and Jos Verstappen has broken his silence with a solid statement to the media.
Jos Verstappen hints at the departure of Max Verstappen from Red Bull
Verstappen Sr. admitted that Red Bull is on the cusp of falling apart amid Newey’s departure. Therefore, he insisted that the future at Red Bull doesn’t look as bright anymore, hinting that his son might actually consider moving teams next season. “The team is in danger of falling apart. I was afraid of that earlier this year. For internal peace, it is important that key people stay on board. That is not the case now. For the future that is not good,” he said according to Telegraaf.nl.
As of now, Mercedes is the leading contender to sign Verstappen and his advisor Helmut Marko. Furthermore, the two camps are set for a meeting in Miami during the race weekend. However, the question is, can Mercedes strike a deal with the unstoppable reigning world champion?
Sara Chavan