Despite their recent dominance in Formula 1, all is not well at Red Bull right now. The resignation of Adrian Newey has exposed fresh cracks behind the scenes.
On the surface, the Bulls are sitting pretty in both championships. Max Verstappen is 33 points clear of teammate Sergio Perez, with nearest external challenger Charles Leclerc 38 points back.
Over in the constructors’, Red Bull are 52 points ahead of Ferrari. Lando Norris and McLaren may have won the Miami Grand Prix, but they’ve only scored around half the points (124 vs 239).
However, after the team confirmed that Newey would be leaving in the early part of 2025, there’s unrest behind the scenes. Jos Verstappen has warned that they are at risk of ‘falling apart’.
And former McLaren employee Marc Priestley has learned that more senior figures are considering their future. Sporting director Jonathan Wheatley may be among them.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and McLaren CEO Zak Brown have both noticed an increase in applications from Red Bull CEOs at all levels. That could point to pockets of discontent throughout their ranks.
Journalist investigates Helmut Marko absence from Adrian Newey announcement
Erik van Haren, a journalist for Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, noticed that there was no sign of Helmut Marko as Red Bull confirmed the exit of Newey. There were comments from Newey and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, but nothing from the executive director.
Van Haren has now relayed rumours that Marko’s name has been removed from the ‘Horner front’. The goal is to play down the Austrian’s influence in running the team.
There’s also a possibility that relations between Newey and Marko have suffered. The 81-year-old seemed decidedly more surprised about the resignation than Horner, potentially suggesting they’re no longer close.
The report adds that the presence of Verstappen is the only thing keeping Marko in his current post. If the world champion decided to leave, he would not stand in his way.
Why Helmut Marko holds the key to the future of Max Verstappen
Verstappen is under contract at Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season. But that deal features a couple of key exit clauses.
There’s ‘chatter in the paddock’ that he has the option to leave the team ahead of 2026 if he’s not satisfied with their first crack at the new regulations. There are already ‘rumours’ that their engine isn’t at the level of their competitors.
But Verstappen could depart even sooner. If Marko walks, the 26-year-old is free to follow him.
In this context, the duo have reportedly made a pact behind the scenes. Should the Dutchman express a desire to leave, Marko will quit and open up a pathway.
Toto Wolff has already told Verstappen that he’ll find him a role at Mercedes if it swings the deal. Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff is adamant such a move would be ‘impossible’.
Verstappen has established a long-running relationship with Marko, the man who oversees the Bulls’ driver pool. He signed him to the squad in 2014 and gave him a chance at Toro Rosso as a 17-year-old the following year.
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