2025 Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[lio007]

Marko on Newey's departure

Team principal Christian Horner said in September that there is no correlation between the RB20 performance and Newey's departure, but Helmut Marko does not agree. The Austrian sees that things only got worse for the team since the Briton left, while Horner only tries to downplay the situation.

"We had started well and dominated, but since Newey left, our engineers have actually had a bit of a hard time getting the most out of the car," Marko began.

"Although things were gradually moving in the right direction towards the end of the season and we can say that we are very optimistic for the future, the truth is that from Miami onwards, the teams hoping for victory became four, as McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes had joined the competition, by turns," the Austrian concluded to Autosprint.

Well, one thing is for sure, for the first time in memory it’s Red Bull that have the most to prove in 2025.

It’s one thing to talk about being optimistic for the future, it’s another thing entirely for that optimism to bear out on track

Not just with the chassis, but with their choice of 2nd driver too, if they want both trophies

And that’s not even thinking about the internal power struggles that are evidently still going on within the team

Again it's tried to stir the pot.
Nowadays authors of reports quote somebody without the exact question that was asked, add some additional "conclusions" and create an impression that can bei either positive or negative. In this case negative.

Why is it still suggested that there are internal power struggles?

What do you expect from Horner? Should he say "we are doomed, my engineers are rubbish and aren't able to set up and upgrade the car"? It would be plain stupid from a Team principal to say things like that. His task is to keep the motivation high in the team.

What Horner was quoted in recent reports:

"Of course, seeing Adrian leave was sad, as he was instrumental for the team during his time with us," team principal Christian Horner commented to PlanetF1.
"It was just a coincidence that the very weekend he announced his departure was the one in which we started to have a drop."
Horner then insisted on this theme: "No individual can make such a quick impact and I think Adrian himself would be the first to admit that," and concluded: "The way the team recovered towards the end of the year really satisfied me. Pole and victory in Qatar would have been unimaginable in late August or early September."

[Jurgen von Diaz]

Well, one thing is for sure, for the first time in memory it’s Red Bull that have the most to prove in 2025.

It’s one thing to talk about being optimistic for the future, it’s another thing entirely for that optimism to bear out on track

Not just with the chassis, but with their choice of 2nd driver too, if they want both trophies

And that’s not even thinking about the internal power struggles that are evidently still going on within the team

Again it's tried to stir the pot.
Nowadays authors of reports quote somebody without the exact question that was asked, add some additional "conclusions" and create an impression that can bei either positive or negative. In this case negative.

Why is it still suggested that there are internal power struggles?

What do you expect from Horner? Should he say "we are doomed, my engineers are rubbish and aren't able to set up and upgrade the car"? It would be plain stupid from a Team principal to say things like that. His task is to keep the motivation high in the team.

What Horner was quoted in recent reports:

"Of course, seeing Adrian leave was sad, as he was instrumental for the team during his time with us," team principal Christian Horner commented to PlanetF1.
"It was just a coincidence that the very weekend he announced his departure was the one in which we started to have a drop."
Horner then insisted on this theme: "No individual can make such a quick impact and I think Adrian himself would be the first to admit that," and concluded: "The way the team recovered towards the end of the year really satisfied me. Pole and victory in Qatar would have been unimaginable in late August or early September."

Horner downplayed Newey's role before his scandal. After Newey left, Horner gave bittersweet comments about Aston Martin's event where they announced Newey. I think Horner, with his attitude, gave a push for Newey's departure.

[lio007]

Well, one thing is for sure, for the first time in memory it’s Red Bull that have the most to prove in 2025.

It’s one thing to talk about being optimistic for the future, it’s another thing entirely for that optimism to bear out on track

Not just with the chassis, but with their choice of 2nd driver too, if they want both trophies

And that’s not even thinking about the internal power struggles that are evidently still going on within the team

Again it's tried to stir the pot.
Nowadays authors of reports quote somebody without the exact question that was asked, add some additional "conclusions" and create an impression that can bei either positive or negative. In this case negative.

Why is it still suggested that there are internal power struggles?

What do you expect from Horner? Should he say "we are doomed, my engineers are rubbish and aren't able to set up and upgrade the car"? It would be plain stupid from a Team principal to say things like that. His task is to keep the motivation high in the team.

What Horner was quoted in recent reports:

"Of course, seeing Adrian leave was sad, as he was instrumental for the team during his time with us," team principal Christian Horner commented to PlanetF1.
"It was just a coincidence that the very weekend he announced his departure was the one in which we started to have a drop."
Horner then insisted on this theme: "No individual can make such a quick impact and I think Adrian himself would be the first to admit that," and concluded: "The way the team recovered towards the end of the year really satisfied me. Pole and victory in Qatar would have been unimaginable in late August or early September."

Horner downplayed Newey's role before his scandal. After Newey left, Horner gave bittersweet comments about Aston Martin's event where they announced Newey. I think Horner, with his attitude, gave a push for Newey's departure.

You have to admit that the AM event was a bit strange with Newey still on Red Bulls payroll. Would you be happy?

I'd even say it might be a good thing for the team without Newey. Other (younger) engineers can step up and as many times mentioned, F1 is a team sport where collective engineering is key.
The day where Adrian would retire is for sure more in the near than in the distant future.
And Adrian's bicycle accident a couple of years ago was maybe the trigger event to make succession plans. As a company you can not be dependent on just one person.

[Watto]

I honestly don’t think that had much to do with Horner leaving. (Horner gate)

It was widely reported Newey considered leaving a few years ago it was really just Horner that convinced him to stay.


I do think the events of the year probably pushed Newey to reconsider- perhaps a little that it was clearer RBR were planning for were we it post Newey days.

But I also get the feeling Newey probably didn’t like the political games RB we’re playing both RBGmbH trying to remove him then Horner using the Thai owner to seperate the team .

Newey did say in an interview somewhere what he enjoyed about RBR with Mateschitz was you wanted a new bit of equipment or what ever write a business plan to justify it and it got done. Since his passing it became far more corporate a board having to approve thing . Less replace on him. The internal battles.

[Jurgen von Diaz]

Again it's tried to stir the pot.
Nowadays authors of reports quote somebody without the exact question that was asked, add some additional "conclusions" and create an impression that can bei either positive or negative. In this case negative.

Why is it still suggested that there are internal power struggles?

What do you expect from Horner? Should he say "we are doomed, my engineers are rubbish and aren't able to set up and upgrade the car"? It would be plain stupid from a Team principal to say things like that. His task is to keep the motivation high in the team.

What Horner was quoted in recent reports:

Horner downplayed Newey's role before his scandal. After Newey left, Horner gave bittersweet comments about Aston Martin's event where they announced Newey. I think Horner, with his attitude, gave a push for Newey's departure.

You have to admit that the AM event was a bit strange with Newey still on Red Bulls payroll. Would you be happy?

I'd even say it might be a good thing for the team without Newey. Other (younger) engineers can step up and as many times mentioned, F1 is a team sport where collective engineering is key.
The day where Adrian would retire is for sure more in the near than in the distant future.
And Adrian's bicycle accident a couple of years ago was maybe the trigger event to make succession plans. As a company you can not be dependent on just one person.

That's exactly what Horner has been saying for over a year, and look where it got them: WCC P3. Wherever Newey goes, it becomes gold. Every team wants Newey, and those saying otherwise are lying, like Vowles, who is so relieved not to have Newey, like Williams ever got the chance anyway.

[lio007]

Horner downplayed Newey's role before his scandal. After Newey left, Horner gave bittersweet comments about Aston Martin's event where they announced Newey. I think Horner, with his attitude, gave a push for Newey's departure.

You have to admit that the AM event was a bit strange with Newey still on Red Bulls payroll. Would you be happy?

I'd even say it might be a good thing for the team without Newey. Other (younger) engineers can step up and as many times mentioned, F1 is a team sport where collective engineering is key.
The day where Adrian would retire is for sure more in the near than in the distant future.
And Adrian's bicycle accident a couple of years ago was maybe the trigger event to make succession plans. As a company you can not be dependent on just one person.

That's exactly what Horner has been saying for over a year, and look where it got them: WCC P3. Wherever Newey goes, it becomes gold. Every team wants Newey, and those saying otherwise are lying, like Vowles, who is so relieved not to have Newey, like Williams ever got the chance anyway.

Checo's non-performance contributed a lot to WCC P3.
And we don't know how much Checos accidents have hindered flexi wing development or development in general.

[FW17]

I guess we should expect the english media's 6 to 10 weekly articles on how Max is a disloyal driver who is looking to see all the options

[Jurgen von Diaz]

You have to admit that the AM event was a bit strange with Newey still on Red Bulls payroll. Would you be happy?

I'd even say it might be a good thing for the team without Newey. Other (younger) engineers can step up and as many times mentioned, F1 is a team sport where collective engineering is key.
The day where Adrian would retire is for sure more in the near than in the distant future.
And Adrian's bicycle accident a couple of years ago was maybe the trigger event to make succession plans. As a company you can not be dependent on just one person.

That's exactly what Horner has been saying for over a year, and look where it got them: WCC P3. Wherever Newey goes, it becomes gold. Every team wants Newey, and those saying otherwise are lying, like Vowles, who is so relieved not to have Newey, like Williams ever got the chance anyway.

Checo's non-performance contributed a lot to WCC P3.
And we don't know how much Checos accidents have hindered flexi wing development or development in general.

And who gave Perez the contract extension amid struggles? Mr. Horner. His actions are relevant to what has happened this past year.

[lio007]

That's exactly what Horner has been saying for over a year, and look where it got them: WCC P3. Wherever Newey goes, it becomes gold. Every team wants Newey, and those saying otherwise are lying, like Vowles, who is so relieved not to have Newey, like Williams ever got the chance anyway.

Checo's non-performance contributed a lot to WCC P3.
And we don't know how much Checos accidents have hindered flexi wing development or development in general.

And who gave Perez the contract extension amid struggles? Mr. Horner. His actions are relevant to what has happened this past year.

At the time when he got the extension, there were no reason not to do it. At the beginning of 2024 Checo had some reasonable performance.

...but I think we are going off topic

[Jurgen von Diaz]

Checo's non-performance contributed a lot to WCC P3.
And we don't know how much Checos accidents have hindered flexi wing development or development in general.

And who gave Perez the contract extension amid struggles? Mr. Horner. His actions are relevant to what has happened this past year.

At the time when he got the extension, there were no reason not to do it. At the beginning of 2024 Checo had some reasonable performance.

...but I think we are going off topic

Off-topic or not, but right call to give Pérez a contract extension? Horner admitted they gave it to calm Pérez's mind, and it didn't work. It was a bizarre move to extend a driver's contract who was driving like Sargeant at that time. It was a mistake and a big one.

[Waz]

Horner doesn't have final say on driver contracts and never did, doesn't matter what he says to the media.

Speculation around Checo costing the WCC doesn't account for the possibility that had Newey still been there, the problems would have either been solved sooner or never materialized to the extent they did.

[lio007]

And who gave Perez the contract extension amid struggles? Mr. Horner. His actions are relevant to what has happened this past year.

At the time when he got the extension, there were no reason not to do it. At the beginning of 2024 Checo had some reasonable performance.

...but I think we are going off topic

Off-topic or not, but right call to give Pérez a contract extension? Horner admitted they gave it to calm Pérez's mind, and it didn't work. It was a bizarre move to extend a driver's contract who was driving like Sargeant at that time. It was a mistake and a big one.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Right call?-Absolutely not!
But it could have gone in the other direction as well in the sense that Checo gets momentum, with the contract sorted he could solely focus on driving and Max was happy as well with him as teammate. Unfortunately on track performance more or less got worse.

As long as Red Bull learn from it I'm fine with it.

[lio007]

Horner doesn't have final say on driver contracts and never did, doesn't matter what he says to the media.

Speculation around Checo costing the WCC doesn't account for the possibility that had Newey still been there, the problems would have either been solved sooner or never materialized to the extent they did.

We have to remember 2017, when correlation issues nerved them as well, with Newey on board.
And back then the aerodynamics were "easier" to simulate compared to the complex GE aero.

2025 will be exiting to see if they have solved the issues they couldn't change last year.

[Jurgen von Diaz]

At the time when he got the extension, there were no reason not to do it. At the beginning of 2024 Checo had some reasonable performance.

...but I think we are going off topic

Off-topic or not, but right call to give Pérez a contract extension? Horner admitted they gave it to calm Pérez's mind, and it didn't work. It was a bizarre move to extend a driver's contract who was driving like Sargeant at that time. It was a mistake and a big one.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Right call?-Absolutely not!
But it could have gone in the other direction as well in the sense that Checo gets momentum, with the contract sorted he could solely focus on driving and Max was happy as well with him as teammate. Unfortunately on track performance more or less got worse.

As long as Red Bull learn from it I'm fine with it.

Hindsight? People expected Red Bull to sack Pérez because he was struggling again, but instead they gave him a contract extension. It was the WTF moment of the season.

Horner is the team principal, and he has the majority ( thai's 51%) behind him, so Horner's voice is powerful. Marko has been dreaming of sacking Pérez for a long time. Like Horner was giving CPR to Ricciardo when Marko wanted him gone from Barcelona onwards.

[organic]

I guess we should expect the english media's 6 to 10 weekly articles on how Max is a disloyal driver who is looking to see all the options

Why?