Red Bull's leadership shake‑up sparks criticism and new driver praise

Former Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve warned that Red Bull is losing its prestige as the team has seen the departure of many key figures, including Rob Marshall, Adrian Newey, Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and others. He said internal politics threaten the future of the outfit and that retaining four‑time champion Max Verstappen is now the team's only clear strength. Villeneuve cautioned that even Verstappen alone cannot guarantee Red Bull's success.

French rookie Isack Hadjar, newly promoted to Red Bull, praised Verstappen for being open and willing to share information, describing him as “very kind” and “never hiding anything.” Hadjar noted that matching the Dutch champion’s performance is a huge challenge, though he has already out‑qualified Verstappen on several occasions. He acknowledged mistakes, such as crashes in Miami and a wall‑impact in Monaco practice, but views them as part of his development and aims to fight for the world title.

Both comments highlight a period of transition for the team, with concerns over its leadership structure and optimism from emerging talent.