Ralf Schumacher attributes Red Bull's current driver woes to a fundamental misstep from last year, according to the former Formula 1 driver.
When Sergio Perez's form faltered irreparably in 2024, Red Bull dismissed the prospect of recruiting Carlos Sainz, who was seeking a new team. "I might have chosen an outside driver," Schumacher told Sky Deutschland. "The mistake from the start was not putting Nico Hulkenberg in the car.
"That was Christian Horner's decision. That's what I heard. But they needed a clear, experienced number 2 alongside Max Verstappen. And I think that would have worked well.
"After that, I think Horner really wanted Franco Colapinto, but he shot himself in the foot with his three crashes in the last few races. And then Dr (Helmut) Marko who just said at the time 'we'll take our junior'."
That 'junior' was Liam Lawson, whose dismal performances in Australia and China paved the way for Yuki Tsunoda to take the Red Bull seat starting at Suzuka.
Initially, Marko cited Tsunoda's inconsistency and character as reasons for passing him over. Now, he tells formel1.de: "Tsunoda will finish the season. We expect him to master it.
"Yuki has repeatedly emphasised that he was actually the right man for Red Bull Racing."
Marko had previously made similar claims about Lawson, but now concedes: "It was a mistake."
He's optimistic he's not misjudged again, noting that Tsunoda's recent simulator work over the past few days shows "very good" promise. "The technical feedback was also good," Marko added, dispelling the notion that Tsunoda lacked insight "about the technology and could not set up a car. That also proved to be wrong," said the 81-year-old.
Marko also praised Tsunoda's recent management switch and improved fitness, calling the compact Japanese driver a "real muscle-man" in 2025.
Schumacher, however, sees Tsunoda's move as a miscalculation, despite Marko noting that "theoretically" Tsunoda's contract left him no choice but to accept. "I almost feel the Racing Bull is the better car of the two and easier to drive overall," he said. "Tsunoda was fast there, and now to come to a new team without any testing alongside Max Verstappen—I don't see how that can work out.
"If he gets halfway there, everyone says that's normal. But if he's as far away as Lawson, then that's the end of his career. That's why, as a manager, I would have finished my season, independent of Red Bull, and looked elsewhere."
This driver saga underscores a broader issue at Red Bull—not only can just Verstappen handle the tricky RB21, but even the four-time world champion is finding victories elusive. "It is impossible to change the behaviour of a car as complex as the RB21 so quickly," Marko openly acknowledges. "However, the last meeting with Max and the engineering team went very well.
"We are still confident in our strengths and in the team's capabilities. But, realistically assessing the situation, we understand that the next three grands prix will be very difficult for Red Bull."
