First among F1 constructors, dominant with Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ World Championship: yet the Red Bull would be grappling with a very serious internal crisis. He is convinced of it Zak Brown. For the McLaren CEO, in fact, the environment in the Austrian team would now be “toxic”, using a term used during his podcast interview Hot Pursuit. A belief based on this turbulent 2024: first the Horner case, then the farewell of Adrian Newey, without considering the rumors about the future of Verstappen himself. And in the meantime, the opponents, starting with McLaren and Ferrari, have shown in recent races that they have become closer.
unknown future
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Brown looks beyond the Red Bull victories, six in nine rounds of the 2024 World Championship. In fact, behind Verstappen’s triumphs there would be a team in strong disintegration: “It’s a rather toxic environment at the moment. And there’s more bad news to come. Newey’s departure had an important impact, because I think a lot of people at Red Bull started working there with him. I have already said that some have passed around their CVs.” The situation could get worse when looking at commercial agreements: “It will be more difficult to deal with sponsors. They will look very carefully at the team they link up with. And the current situation is a complicated one.” And then there is the Verstappen puzzle: “Will he leave or stay? It’s quite a dilemma for Max. He has a contract, but only his father spoke about it explicitly.”
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rivals
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In 2023, Red Bull had won 21 out of 22 races, 14 of which were consecutive at the start of the championship. A year later that superiority is still there, but it is not so evident and Verstappen himself underlined it. The Austrian team remains the reference, but with much less margin. Two Ferrari highlights, in Melbourne and Monte Carlo, without forgetting the success achieved by McLaren in the Miami GP. Brown has an explanation: “Red Bull is a great team, but they are in a destabilizing moment. It is noticeable with Newey’s departure. They are incredible, but not as strong as they once were and now it is Ferrari and McLaren that are having a better time. But in any case everything can change quickly.”
