Red Bull's leadership crisis: how internal distractions derailed a dominant force
Red Bull's leadership upheaval over the past two years—including the departures of Adrian Newey, Christian Horner, and Helmut Marko—has significantly impacted team performance, with CEO Oliver Mintzlaff now acknowledging these internal struggles as an "open secret" that compromised focus and execution.
The dismantling of a dynasty
Red Bull has undergone a historic transformation as three pillars of the team's success exited within an 18-month window. The exodus began in summer 2024 when Adrian Newey, the legendary chief technical officer, announced his departure ahead of the critical 2026 regulation redesign period. This was followed by the removal of Christian Horner as team principal approximately six months ago, with Helmut Marko, the senior advisor and long-time figurehead, departing after the Abu Dhabi finale of the 2025 season. Together, this trio had steered Red Bull through virtually every season in its Formula 1 existence before Newey's exit.
The toll on performance and morale
Mintzlaff characterized the period as damaging to organizational focus. Speaking to De Telegraaf, he stated: "You know, Formula 1 isn't that different from football or any other sport in that respect. When people get distracted, they lose their focus." He emphasized that even with superior resources and talent—including Max Verstappen, universally recognized as the world's best driver—a distracted team cannot perform optimally.
The instability was profound enough that Verstappen reportedly considered his future with the team as the management structure crumbled. The turbulent atmosphere created what Mintzlaff described as an environment where "there were too many issues within and around the team."
A late-season recovery
Despite the chaos, Red Bull demonstrated resilience in the latter stages of 2025. Following Horner's departure, the team experienced a notable resurgence in form. Verstappen nearly completed an historic championship comeback, finishing within two points of the drivers' title while claiming the most race victories of any driver that season. This recovery appeared directly correlated with the removal of distractions and a return to organizational clarity.
Mintzlaff credited this improvement to restored focus: "In recent months, we have seen that performance improves when everyone is fully focused. Even without the best car, Max almost became champion and won the most races of anyone this year."
A new corporate era
The departures signal a fundamental shift in Red Bull's operational philosophy. Under the previous regime dominated by Dietrich Mateschitz's influence, the team operated with significant autonomy and wielded considerable political power within Formula 1. The new structure, overseen by Mintzlaff—who also manages Red Bull's soccer properties including RB Leipzig—represents a more corporate, committee-based approach with greater oversight and accountability.
The case of Helmut Marko's removal exemplifies this transformation. While his ill-founded allegations regarding Kimi Antonelli in the Qatar Grand Prix provided a public justification, sources indicate Marko was effectively forced out due to management practices deemed incompatible with modern corporate standards. His departure, despite his historical significance in elevating Red Bull from an underdog to a dominant force, signals that institutional accountability now supersedes individual autonomy.
Technical continuity amid personnel shifts
While leadership has been reshuffled, the technical department remains relatively stable under Pierre Wache. However, additional personnel movements continue, including the reassignment of Max Verstappen's long-time race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, to a different role. The challenge ahead involves maintaining trackside execution amid ongoing organizational changes.
Mintzlaff has expressed confidence in Red Bull's ability to navigate this transition. "I'm not worried," he stated regarding the departures, "because I know we're replacing all those people properly." He also suggested that change itself can drive improvement: "Because I know it makes us better. And yes, you just have to step out of your comfort zone for a bit."
Red Bull now enters a new chapter—one defined by corporate structure over cult-of-personality leadership, and by institutional oversight rather than individual autonomy. Whether this model can preserve the competitive edge that defined its previous era remains the central question facing the storied organization.