Amidst a lingering scandal, Ralf Schumacher calls for Red Bull Racing’s Christian Horner’s resignation, highlighting internal strife and its impact on the team’s dynamics.
While the intensity of the Christian Horner scandal has somewhat subsided, former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher still believes that the long-standing Red Bull Racing boss should step down.
Horner is evidently at the heart of an internal power struggle within the otherwise dominant Formula 1 team he has led from the start, with the FIA now called upon to investigate allegations of misconduct by an employee.
“This certainly doesn’t help the team,” said former F1 driver Luis Perez-Sala, also a former advisor to the now-defunct HRT team, earlier this week.
“Internal conflicts do not aid in the smooth operation of a team, even one as formidable as Red Bull. Internal wars or conflicts counteract unity and harmony and are certainly never a positive thing.”
Ralf Schumacher, serving as a paddock consultant for German television, however, goes further, stating that the Horner affair has so far overshadowed the actual sporting aspects of the 2024 season.
“It was only on race day in Bahrain that there was even a slight mention of the sport.”
“I feel sorry for his family, but there is only one person who triggered this whole story: him. And I cannot accept that he continues to say he does not want to talk about it.”
“From my own experience, from my divorce, yes, it’s difficult at first when such a private affair unfolds in public. But there comes a time when you have to talk about it because it’s the best thing for all parties.”
“For instance, you hear nothing from the employee, and that’s not right. No one is talking about her. And one thing is certain: as long as this continues, it causes immense damage to Red Bull.”
“Horner himself said that no one is more important than the team. Well, he should follow his own advice and resign as soon as possible.”
So far, Max Verstappen has been cautious in his comments on the affair, but he recently mentioned in Saudi Arabia the importance of preserving the legacy of the team’s late founder, Dietrich Mateschitz.
Asked if Horner was endangering this legacy, Schumacher replied: “I wouldn’t go that far at this point. But everything needs to be resolved as quickly as possible.”
“It wouldn’t hurt anyone if he left. It would be important for the Red Bull brand.”
However, Schumacher admits that if Verstappen left Red Bull for Mercedes F1, the on-track action would at least be more exciting.
“Mercedes is too far behind for him to win right away. Toto Wolff seems resigned in interviews these days. Somehow, Mercedes engineers still haven’t figured out how to fully exploit the new ground-effect F1 car concept.”
“But even if Max is really – as suspected – three-tenths faster than the others, it wouldn’t be enough to win at the moment. But it would make everything more exciting, no doubt about it.”
Ralf Schumacher Urges Horner to Resign Amid Scandal. Ralf Schumacher Urges Horner to Resign Amid Scandal
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