Ralf Schumacher slams Red Bull's "chaotic" delayed decision on Christian Horner: "Too little, too late"

Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher has intensified his critique of Red Bull's decision-making process, arguing that the team's delay in removing Christian Horner from his position as team principal created unnecessary organizational chaos that ultimately cost them a championship-winning opportunity in 2025.

The German pundit's sharp assessment adds another layer to the narrative surrounding one of Formula 1's most turbulent seasons in recent memory. While Red Bull Racing eventually parted ways with Horner, who had led the team for two decades, Schumacher contends that the timing of his departure was the critical issue—not merely whether it should have happened at all.

The cost of prolonged leadership instability

Red Bull's 2025 season was defined by internal power struggles and fractured organizational dynamics. For much of the campaign, the team operated under a cloud of off-track disruption that directly impacted on-track performance. Schumacher's criticism zeroes in on the fact that Horner's extended tenure during this turbulent period created a cascade of negative consequences.

The internal division at Red Bull, according to Schumacher, centered around competing power structures: Horner's vision on one side and Helmut Marko's Austrian-focused leadership philosophy on the other. This dichotomy prevented the team from functioning at optimal capacity. "Horner practically tore the team apart," Schumacher stated. "Red Bull fought its way towards mediocrity. For a while, nothing worked at all."

The chaos extended beyond boardroom politics. Key personnel departures included technical maestro Adrian Newey, along with figures like Rob Marshall and Jonathan Wheatley—losses that significantly weakened Red Bull's competitive infrastructure.

The dramatic mid-season turnaround

The transformation following Horner's removal proved dramatic. Laurent Mekies assumed the team principal role, and the results spoke volumes: Max Verstappen scored eight podiums and six wins in the second half of the season. The stability that emerged coincided with car developments at Monza, allowing Verstappen to mount a late championship charge.

Despite the remarkable turnaround, it proved insufficient. Verstappen finished just two points behind McLaren's Lando Norris, trailing by over 100 points during the chaos-ridden first half of the campaign. This narrow margin underscores Schumacher's core argument: had the team acted decisively earlier, the championship outcome could have been entirely different.

Helmut Marko, himself subsequently departing from Red Bull, echoed this sentiment. "Had we done that sooner, by the way, we would have gotten things back on track faster this year, and Max would have become world champion. I'm absolutely convinced of that," Marko told De Telegraaf.

Horner's personal challenges and their ripple effects

Schumacher specifically pointed to Horner's inability to rebuild the team amid personal difficulties as the trigger for Red Bull's decision to "pull the ripcord." Following a 2023 investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior—from which Horner was cleared—the team principal struggled to attract and retain elite talent necessary for championship-contending operations.

"Christian Horner had an incredibly successful time with Red Bull, for 20 years, winning many titles," Schumacher acknowledged before delivering his verdict. "But of course there has been a big private issue in recent years – from then on the whole issue became a bit unwieldy and many people left the team and Christian Horner simply didn't manage to rebuild this team, to get new people."

The organizational vacuum

The removal of both Horner and subsequently Marko leaves Red Bull entering 2026 without the leadership figures that shaped the team's modern era. Whether this constitutes a fresh start or organizational uncertainty remains to be seen. Red Bull will race under new technical regulations with its RB Powertrains unit, marking the first time the team operates its own in-house power project in the modern era—a transition that coincides with wholesale leadership changes.

Schumacher's criticism ultimately reflects a fundamental reality: in Formula 1, timing is everything—whether managing tire strategies, executing pit stop sequences, or making strategic personnel decisions. Red Bull's delayed response to its internal crisis exemplifies how organizational dysfunction can cascade into competitive consequences that even a remarkable mid-season recovery cannot fully remedy.