2026 Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[PlatinumZealot]

Max may have taken the worst decision of his career by turning down Toto's offer.

Or Merc just didn't have the muscles to pay out Verstappen's 3-year contract, which would be a massive amount of money.

He would still have 4xWDC or maybe 3X. So i think he did right to stay with RedBull

[WardenOfTheNorth]

I have the feeling Max wants to jump ship now that they are no longer the "fastest".

Bit of a shame - was hoping he's up to the challenge.

I more get the impression that he really is close to being done with F1. At least for a time. He's still young. He could quite conceivably go and spend a few years doing GT or other series and then see where F1 goes with the PU in 2030/1 before looking at a return.

With Kimi coming good, I'm no longer sure that Toto would feel the need to stump up the money Max would command either.

Kimi could become a very interesting curveball in the driversmarket. I get the feeling Toto is not very fond of George because of his ways. If Kimi starts beating him George could very well be on his way out, as I can imagine Toto has put a "compared to teammate" performance clause in his contract

What do you mean by "because of his ways"?? I always thought George was a good fit at Merc.

[f1isgood]

I think it's fair to start questioning Mekies at this point for being unable to retain staff. I thought he kept them happy.

[Jdn1327]

I think it's fair to start questioning Mekies at this point for being unable to retain staff. I thought he kept them happy.

Would it be fair to say it's an off shoot from Horner and Newey leaving (Wheatley as well my apologies)? Mekies probably tried his best to retain but they probably saw RBR, in their opinions, was a sinking ship.

[Valeo]

I think it's fair to start questioning Mekies at this point for being unable to retain staff. I thought he kept them happy.

I seriously doubt Mekies is a huge factor in what´s going on at Milton Keynes since 2024.
There is only so much a TP can do if people at the very top think what worked for 20 years is suddenly wrong.

[Jurgen von Diaz]

Max may have taken the worst decision of his career by turning down Toto's offer.

Or Merc just didn't have the muscles to pay out Verstappen's 3-year contract, which would be a massive amount of money.

He would still have 4xWDC or maybe 3X. So i think he did right to stay with RedBull

He had no choice! It has been a funny two years. Verstappen is the only one who has to put out a press release that he is continuing to be in the office next year, as his contract says.

[Rikhart]

Max may have taken the worst decision of his career by turning down Toto's offer.

Pretty clear since the start of the season, but there is time to leave next year, I hope he already has that set up. This team is gone.

[nitrotech]

I more get the impression that he really is close to being done with F1. At least for a time. He's still young. He could quite conceivably go and spend a few years doing GT or other series and then see where F1 goes with the PU in 2030/1 before looking at a return.

With Kimi coming good, I'm no longer sure that Toto would feel the need to stump up the money Max would command either.

Kimi could become a very interesting curveball in the driversmarket. I get the feeling Toto is not very fond of George because of his ways. If Kimi starts beating him George could very well be on his way out, as I can imagine Toto has put a "compared to teammate" performance clause in his contract

What do you mean by "because of his ways"?? I always thought George was a good fit at Merc.

It means, because I don't like George, nobody likes George.

[nitrotech]

The begining of the end? Or blood letting?
Several senior staff depart ahead of 2026.

https://www.planetf1.com/news/red-bull- ... ruary-2026

I was right!!

https://www.planetf1.com/news/gianpiero ... -bull-2028


Dutch media is reporting that GP is set to leave!

I said a couple of pages back that, this is downward spiral for Red Bull. There is no coming back.

[pantherxxx]

At least we still have Pierre Wache. Lmao.

[Xaniesta]

I think Maxs retirement is now even more closer. I believe him when he says he will retire, and maybe at RBR

[Dee]

The cost cap caused the downfall of the team.

If the cost cap didn't exist, RB could pay the excellent people they had whatever they asked for after a winning season(s) and be certain to retain them, as they had done for nearly 20 years.

Mateschitz dying is a red herring in my view.

The only way to get more money in F1 after being successful now is to go higher up the ranks in a team or move to another.

2021 - Cost Cap In Place

2021 - 2022 RB win WDC x 2 and WCC x 1

2023 Marshall left (Chief Engineering Officer - 17 years) - became Chief Designer at Mclaren

2024 Newey left (Chief Technical Officer - 18 years) - became Managing Technical Partner at Aston Martin

2024 Wheatley left (Sporting Director - 18 years) - became Team Principal at Audi

2024 Will Courtney (Head of Race Strategy - 19 years) - became Sporting Director of Mclaren

2025 Horner (Team Principal - 20 years) - wanted more power/money - failed - sacked

2026 GP will leave (Head of Racing - 11 years) - signed with Mclaren to become Chief Racing Officer

Now look how long most of them have been with the team. They didn't leave when RB won 4 in a row with Vettel but it was different this time for some reason?...

The reason was money.

RB had the best people because they paid them well and the cost cap stopped them from doing that anymore.

I will add on to this though that Horner was the block to Marshal, Wheatley, Newey and Courtney getting those new roles at Red Bull. If Horner was fired earlier, I do believe they would have all stayed, getting more money in those positions.

[pantherxxx]

Red Bull should try to sign back Newey. The Honda engine sucks, so Newey's ideas are worthless at Aston, because that car will never be good with that engine. In Red Bull he can design a wonderful car with the new wind tunnel for 2027, which is powered by the best or second best engine in the grid.

[PlatinumZealot]

Newey won't have the same leverage with the new Austrians as he did with the old ones. Not worth going back into so much corporate politics. He likes the old headmaster styles that Aston is one of the last teams offering.

[Watto]

Newey won't have the same leverage with the new Austrians as he did with the old ones. Not worth going back into so much corporate politics. He likes the old headmaster styles that Aston is one of the last teams offering.

Yep, I think even if he was around now I think he's walk, the corporate politics of the team isn't his thing. I think the interview with him a few years ago was telling on that that he could setup Red Bull how he wanted (areas he was in charge of obviously) said if you wanted some new equipment you said a proposal/business case to DM 'We need this cause xxx' and it pretty much was approved by DM) Red Bull isn't that anymore and I doubt he would have hun around long if he was still there.