F1 News: Red Bull in Disarray According to Former Champion - 'Internal Fighting Has Started'

Jacques Villeneuve discusses internal strife at Red Bull Racing following leadership changes, indicating challenges ahead for the team’s cohesion and performance.*

Oct 23, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Red Bull Racing Limited driver Max Verstappen (1) of Team / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has expressed concerns about Red Bull Racing's stability following the news that Adrian Newey will be leaving the team in 2025. He suggests that internal conflicts have begun to surface, challenging the team's unity.

As Adrian Newey prepares to exit Red Bull Racing in 2025, the team faces not only the challenge of the loss of a legendary designer but also internal strife, as noted by former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve. Villeneuve's observations shed light on the evolving dynamics within the illustrious racing team, particularly in the wake of Dietrich Mateschitz's passing.

The 1997 F1 Champion pointed out that Red Bull’s recent successes might be overshadowed by growing internal conflicts. This comes at a time when Newey announced his departure to focus on the RB17 hypercar project before leaving the team after the first quarter of 2025. Newey’s exit marks the end of an era during which he led the team to multiple championships. Villeneuve explained during an interview with Crypto Casino LTD:

"It won’t mean that Red Bull won’t win more races but it’s the end of a long era. With Dietrich Mateschitz passing away, it was written. The political balance there was always precarious with Chrisian Horner. Helmut Marko was making decisions but the team principal was Horner so there was something that didn’t always work very well. 

"With Dietrich Mateschitz gone, obviously it was bound to happen. He’s left a void. The kids were left to play without parents."

He further elaborated:

"Dietrich was holding the ring. He was holding everyone in place. The pyramid has gone at Red Bull so now the internal fighting has started. It involves even people that should be on the outside which is strange.

"The situation has been like a snowball effect. There’s more than two parties that are pulling strings. It’s got too personal which is crazy. Why can’t it be done behind closed doors?"

Villeneuve also reflected on the broader implications of such internal disagreements.

"It’s human nature. People don’t sit on their laurels. People find problems even when things are going well. That’s why it’s very hard to have dominance for a long time because somebody will want more out of it."