2026 Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[euv2]

At the end of the day, if Max and Jos wanted to keep Horner, he'd still be working today. Max threatened to leave when Markos job was on the line but didn't do the same for Horner, because they clearly thought he was replaceable.

[f1isgood]

If I wanted to read about Jos then I'd go to Reddit or some other places, it's bloody tedious.

It does have some relevance to the current situation with the team. Jos was very vocal about how Christian would ruin the team, but it's become clear since he was fired that wasn't the case. There was no brain drain during his tenure, with almost all the staff being long term with a decade plus of service.

The team has serious issues, and it seems to come from Austria. This is affecting the performance in general undeniably.

It's just not helpful if petty arguments or labels are used, instead of a discussion.

Jos was vocal before the 2024 season/story for some reason. This is a pretty fair assessment. Horner's engine project is quite good even. The other side has simply given up. Since he has gone, they have literally been shite at every part of the team. Who could have guessed that firing an easily all-time-great TP would backfire? So surprising.

[SmallSoldier]

If I wanted to read about Jos then I'd go to Reddit or some other places, it's bloody tedious.

It does have some relevance to the current situation with the team. Jos was very vocal about how Christian would ruin the team, but it's become clear since he was fired that wasn't the case. There was no brain drain during his tenure, with almost all the staff being long term with a decade plus of service.

The team has serious issues, and it seems to come from Austria. This is affecting the performance in general undeniably.

It's just not helpful if petty arguments or labels are used, instead of a discussion.

I don’t think the current exits are a reflection of Christian Horner not been there, these last departures are most probably a continuation of the exodus that started while Horner was in place… Before Horner’s exit, the team had already lost:

- Marshall (to McLaren)
- Newey (to Aston Martin)
- Stevenson (to Audi)
- Courtenay (to McLaren)
- Wheatley (to Audi)
- Skinner (TBD) - Even though a February 2026 “exit” his departure apparently was determined a year before

All of the above are not your average engineer or middle management… That’s a huge portion of Red Bull’s leadership that departed Team in a period of 2 years (2024 - 2025) and while Horner was the leader… Not only other members following them but also teams smelling blood and trying to poach additional key employees is not surprising

[Brahmal]

It's too late to sack Horner when it's been 1.5 years of the scandal and investigations, the damage is already done. The exodus started when Horner stayed and biggest names left.

Makes me wonder how things would look now if Horner has just resigned when the scandal broke, as he probably should have. How many of those people would still be on the team? Quite a few, I'd bet.

At the end of the day, if Max and Jos wanted to keep Horner, he'd still be working today. Max threatened to leave when Markos job was on the line but didn't do the same for Horner, because they clearly thought he was replaceable.

At the time it seemed like the Austrian execs wanted him gone from the beginning of the scandal, but the Thais only relented when team performance started really nosediving. Just my impression, I'm not on social media so might have had different information.

[FW17]

It's too late to sack Horner when it's been 1.5 years of the scandal and investigations, the damage is already done. The exodus started when Horner stayed and biggest names left.

Makes me wonder how things would look now if Horner has just resigned when the scandal broke, as he probably should have. How many of those people would still be on the team? Quite a few, I'd bet.

At the end of the day, if Max and Jos wanted to keep Horner, he'd still be working today. Max threatened to leave when Markos job was on the line but didn't do the same for Horner, because they clearly thought he was replaceable.

At the time it seemed like the Austrian execs wanted him gone from the beginning of the scandal, but the Thais only relented when team performance started really nosediving. Just my impression, I'm not on social media so might have had different information.

Red Bull racing was not part of the Austrian HQ. When the part founder passed away, the Austrian HQ wanted the racing division under them. Horner wanted it independent.

Verstappens and Marko were naive to impact of the Austrian HQ and chose sides. Now this became a source of friction that never existed before. The friction probably became evident within Red Bull racing in 2022 and 2023 but shielded from the media by the PR team, but people were not happy. End of 2023 Horner gave the Red Bull HQ to assert more control by having him fired based on a complaint.

Initially Asutrian HQ did not have the power as the Thai family had more control. For some reason in 2025 they gave up 2% shareholding to a trust and became equal shareholding with the Austrian family. This allowed the HQ to fire Horner immediately.

Verstappens and Marko had the mirage of Austrian HQ corporate as good, unfortunately has not worked out well.

[Stu]

Mod team big hint time…

Last time that I checked neither Jos Verstappen nor Helmut Marko had no contractual ties with the RedBull F1 team, Christian Horner left some time ago (i.e. not a part of the 2026 team).

I appreciate that you guys & girls may be bored during the unscheduled early spring break, but keep it on topic…

[WardenOfTheNorth]

Indeed the team is in a downfall state. I see Max leaving f1 in 2027, and then coming back to Mclaren or Mercedes in 2028.

I agree, but I don't think he comes back until we get new PU rules.

[Badger]

If I wanted to read about Jos then I'd go to Reddit or some other places, it's bloody tedious.

It does have some relevance to the current situation with the team. Jos was very vocal about how Christian would ruin the team, but it's become clear since he was fired that wasn't the case. There was no brain drain during his tenure, with almost all the staff being long term with a decade plus of service.

The team has serious issues, and it seems to come from Austria. This is affecting the performance in general undeniably.

It's just not helpful if petty arguments or labels are used, instead of a discussion.

What is not helpful is revising the timeline of when people left because you have an agenda. Every major departure except GP happened under Horner's leadership, most of them between the scandal and his firing. The departures were likely a key factor in the decision to let him go, alongside the lackluster performance. The real mistake was keeping him on for 18 months after the scandal was revealed, but the Thais wanted him to stay back then.

[euv2]

https://www.planetf1.com/news/red-bull- ... pen-doubts

The best article on Red bull and their struggles so far. Goes into a lot of detail, but it's obvious the Austrians underestimated the impact of sacking Horner, if they had planned properly, they would have replaced him with Jonathan Wheatley instead of Mekies, they would have avoided that culture shock, but now you have employees complaining about being "railroaded over" and an "increasingly downbeat environment".

[Wouter]

https://www.planetf1.com/news/red-bull- ... pen-doubts

The best article on Red bull and their struggles so far. Goes into a lot of detail, but it's obvious the Austrians underestimated the impact of sacking Horner, if they had planned properly, they would have replaced him with Jonathan Wheatley instead of Mekies,
they would have avoided that culture shock, but now you have employees complaining about being "railroaded over" and an "increasingly downbeat environment".

.
That is because of Mintzlaff and not because of Mekies! The team can't stand Mintzlaff, he is playing the boss now Horner is gone.
There was no culture shock as you call it. Everybody was happy when Mekies came on board.
Mintzlaff was the one who let the whole world know (through Erik van Haren) Horner was involved with his PA. He wanted Horner out and it took a year and a half before he succeeded. That was when Yoovidhya (51% shares) was no longer Horners friend.

[Wouter]

Max is on his way to Nürburg for the race weekend.
Tonight he was at the Amsterdam Theater which will be broadcast tomorrow evening at Viaplay from 8 PM for one week.
He answered a lot of questions and this huge fan was present and wrote many things on her X account.

[Just_a_fan]

This thread reads ever more like a Max love-in. Surely a thread about the F1 team should focus solely on the F1 team and not on what various people (but mostly Max) is doing outside of F1. If Max is doing non-F1 stuff then there are other places where this can be discussed (not in F1 Technical). Or are we happy for team threads to be filled with irrelevant stuff about various drivers and their non-F1 predilections?

[kptaylor]

This thread reads ever more like a Max love-in. Surely a thread about the F1 team should focus solely on the F1 team and not on what various people (but mostly Max) is doing outside of F1. If Max is doing non-F1 stuff then there are other places where this can be discussed (not in F1 Technical). Or are we happy for team threads to be filled with irrelevant stuff about various drivers and their non-F1 predilections?

If you hadn't noticed, there is a break. Not much to talk about unless you want continued rehashing of the past or guessing what's currently wrong.

[Wouter]

This thread reads ever more like a Max love-in. Surely a thread about the F1 team should focus solely on the F1 team and not on what various people (but mostly Max) is doing outside of F1.

If Max is doing non-F1 stuff then there are other places where this can be discussed (not in F1 Technical).

Or are we happy for team threads to be filled with irrelevant stuff about various drivers and their non-F1 predilections?

.
Maybe you should listen what the evening was about. F1, F1, F1, RBR, RBR, RBR, new rules, battery, Lambiase leaving, etc, etc.

What is wrong with that?!

Maybe you can tell us what you are allow us to post in a team treath.

[basti313]

https://www.planetf1.com/news/red-bull- ... pen-doubts

The best article on Red bull and their struggles so far. Goes into a lot of detail, but it's obvious the Austrians underestimated the impact of sacking Horner, if they had planned properly, they would have replaced him with Jonathan Wheatley instead of Mekies,
they would have avoided that culture shock, but now you have employees complaining about being "railroaded over" and an "increasingly downbeat environment".

.
That is because of Mintzlaff and not because of Mekies! The team can't stand Mintzlaff, he is playing the boss now Horner is gone.
There was no culture shock as you call it. Everybody was happy when Mekies came on board.
Mintzlaff was the one who let the whole world know (through Erik van Haren) Horner was involved with his PA. He wanted Horner out and it took a year and a half before he succeeded. That was when Yoovidhya (51% shares) was no longer Horners friend.

I fear you are making too much about single persons.
What I read from the complaints and what I see in the issues is a simple corporate issue:
The team was managed like a small company when Mateschitz sen. himself made the necessary discissions and Horner/Marko were executing.
With the death of Mateschitz the team moved into a classical corporate situation with all of its bull$hit.

If we see the personal drain, the comments on "railroaded over" and an "increasingly downbeat environment"....been there, completely normal if you start pushing a agile company into a corporate environment.