By Ashley Borecki
Is Red Bull in Ruins? A Look at Leadership, Risk, and the 2026 Gamble
In Formula 1, speed is everything.
From drivers pushing the limits, and chasing mere milliseconds, to pit crews executing a perfect, two second tyre change or logistics coordinators making sure the cars are on tracks across the world; everyone is racing against time. Innovation is no exception. Teams are constantly making changes to maximize performance in each sector, both on and off track. Oracle Red Bull Racing is certainly making changes, but are these recent moves the right ones?
The core of every successful F1 team lies in leadership, and, recently, Red Bull has
faced two monumental changes in this area. First, the departure of technical mastermind Adrian Newey undoubtedly marked the end of an era. Newey spearheaded advancements to bring in 13 world titles and transformed the RB18 from an inconsistent drive at best, to an elite machine. Without Newey, who was the backbone of the technical team, uncertainty regarding the necessary 2026 car redevelopment is high.
Adding more to the internal chaos, a second leadership change came with the
ousting of team principal Christian Horner. Horner, who has been the face of the brand, leaves a legacy of development; not only with seasons of dominance on track, but in the formation of company culture. These two figures have become ingrained in the team’s DNA, and them abruptly leaving causes a major power vacuum.
Making this uncertainty even worse is the bold strategy by Red Bull in regard to their
power units. With the introduction of brand new 2026 regulations, seismic shifts in F1 cars are inevitable. Red Bull, however, is taking a major gamble in creating their very own power
units in partnership with Ford. Deciding to trade the reliability of Honda for a volatile,
unproven unit, and implementing such without Newey, adds new pressure that Red Bull has not been faced with before.
Finally, there is the big question in F1 right now. Will Max Verstappen go to
Mercedes? Though in contract until 2028, rumors about utilizing exit clauses, as well as meetings with Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, have led many to believe Verstappen will leave Red Bull Racing. Given that the second Red Bull car has underperformed for years, Verstappen leaving would be detrimental to the team as a whole.
For just about two decades, Red Bull has been the picture of cohesion, innovation,
and, at the end of the day, success. They have navigated a field of 19 other opponents, but there is always one other opponent in this industry that lingers: change. This means that no
team is untouchable. Will Red Bull come out of this victorious, or will change beat them to the finish? Much like everything else in Formula 1, only time will tell.
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