According to former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher, Red Bull is "falling apart" with Christian Horner at the helm. The team has been enveloped in chaos as reports indicate Adrian Newey is contemplating an early departure from Red Bull Racing, possibly before 2025.
This development has triggered intense conjecture about Newey's next career move, with massive financial propositions reportedly coming from teams like Aston Martin, Ferrari, and possibly Mercedes. This information comes amid a new f1-insider.com report indicating that Max Verstappen is slated for significant discussions with Mercedes' senior officials after the Miami Grand Prix.
These discussions will involve key figures such as Toto Wolff, Verstappen's agents Jos Verstappen and Raymond Vermeulen, and prominent Mercedes stakeholders Jim Ratcliffe and CEO Ola Kallenius. Reports suggest an extraordinary offer approaching EUR 150 million annually is being prepared for 26-year-old Verstappen.
The Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport has raised the question: "Verstappen and Newey - will Red Bull lose them both?"
In a discussion with Sky Deutschland, Schumacher noted, "Adrian Newey needs harmony, a good atmosphere - a workplace. And at the moment, you have to say clearly: Red Bull is falling apart. Christian Horner bears sole responsibility for this," he added. "He is clinging to power with all his might. I give Red Bull two more years and if they continue to hold on to Horner, the team will sink into mediocrity. I'm pretty sure of that," Schumacher remarked.
Former Ferrari racer Ivan Capelli believes it's "unlikely" that Newey would opt for Ferrari if a more preferable UK-based opportunity were available. However, he cautioned, "If he does come, it will be because he can bring some of his most loyal colleagues with him."
Erik van Haren, a prominent Dutch F1 journalist, suggests that the ongoing rumours around Newey and Verstappen indicate underlying issues at Red Bull, despite the outward semblance of stability amid earlier internal conflicts and unrest. "Even those who fanatically declared that everything is fine again at Red Bull must now change tactic," he concluded in his column for De Telegraaf.
