Key Departures at Red Bull Shake Team Dynamics

Red Bull grapples with upheaval following the exit of key figures Newey, Fallows, and Marshall, signaling a challenging phase ahead.

Red Bull is now experiencing the repercussions of recent high-profile departures, according to former Formula 1 driver Christijan Albers.

Dan Fallows has moved to Aston Martin, Rob Marshall has joined McLaren, and the reduced involvement of Adrian Newey in the F1 project has adversely affected the team’s performance, the Dutchman asserts.

“I’ve been hearing for over a year now that Pierre Waché is the right man for the job,” Albers stated.

“We were told ‘Adrian is nothing’ in comparison to the group. I keep hearing this kind of thing from Horner, from Marko, from the engineers I talk to at Red Bull. But the reality is that this team is starting to lose its way in its developments, something that has never happened before.”

After a dominant start to the 2024 season, news of Newey’s departure coincided with a decline in the car’s performance.

“Two factors have played a role in all this. Newey, who provides a certain philosophy, direction, and leadership that works so well. And the departure of Rob Marshall may have played an even more important role. We can all see that the performance is no longer there.”

“They told me in the paddock, they were expecting a lot more from this update that arrived in Hungary, it’s clear, and maybe it will just take a bit more time. The reality is, since these two men left, the domination isn’t there anymore.”

Albers also believes that poor management has played a role in the current situation—such as the premature extension of Sergio Perez’s contract for 2025 and 2026.

“Sorry to say, but I think Horner was too quick in trying to create peace in the team in this manner. It was a kamikaze act to sign Perez in the worst form he has ever been in. Horner is doing everything to please Verstappen, whether Max loses sleep over it or not.”

Albers even criticizes the suddenly altered contract of Dr. Helmut Marko with Red Bull, which reportedly removed the clause allowing Max Verstappen to leave if Marko left or was ousted.

“They simply paid a lot of money to create peace. If this side letter has really disappeared, Max’s contract will be valid until 2028—unless he no longer likes the performance of the car. Who is going to hold back an angry Max when you see how he can lambast the team live on the radio?”