Ralf Schumacher believes Red Bull is facing a potential decline as teams such as McLaren and Ferrari close the gap amid in-house instability rumours.
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Ralf Schumacher has expressed concerns about Red Bull’s future, warning that the team might experience mediocrity. The former F1 driver believes they face a pivotal moment, with team principal Christian Horner needing to exert control over mounting pressures.
Adrian Newey, the team’s renowned engineer, will depart in 2025. While it remains unclear where he will move to, teams such as Ferrari and Aston Martin are interested. Meanwhile, Ferrari and McLaren have significantly reduced the gap since the start of the current season.
On top of Newey’s departure, Red Bull is taking power unit production in-house for the 2026 regulation change. This has led to speculation about how well the team will adapt to these new regulations. Think of Mercedes.
Whether Red Bull can maintain its high performance level remains uncertain. Many question if their dominance will last until the new regulations come into effect.
“[It’s] all well and good when you win“, Schumacher told ‘Formel1.de’s’ YouTube channel. “To be fair, most of the races have been won so far. “It’s just a question of what happens next. And he [Christian Horner] still has a lot of pressure on his shoulders, which he will have to get under control. That also goes for management personnel,” he added, hinting at other key individuals potentially leaving the team.
“And that’s the dangerous thing about Formula 1… Red Bull is really at high risk of falling into mediocrity at the moment. I thought 2026 mediocre sounded hard, but it’s already hard this year.”
Verstappen to Mercedes Rumours Persist
Newey may not be the last significant figure to leave Red Bull. Uncertainty about the Milton Keynes based team’s future performance and reports of internal instability have fuelled speculation that Max Verstappen might move to Mercedes.
The German team has been openly supportive of the potential move after losing World Champion Lewis Hamilton. They believe Verstappen is who the team needs alongside George Russell.
Schumacher feels that unless Red Bull can provide its three-time World Champion with the best car, Verstappen could seek a move elsewhere. “Absolutely not – I don’t think so,” he replied when asked if he believed the Verstappen to Mercedes rumours had been quashed.
However, is Mercedes the team for him? Recent performance implies otherwise.
The former F1 driver understands that “Verstappen will be looking for the best car. And one thing is also clear: at the moment it’s not the Red Bull. The McLaren is the most complete package. The Red Bull is simply difficult to drive. Without the Max factor, they wouldn’t have won in Imola either.
McLaren is not an option for the Dutchman. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are secure in their seats. With Ferrari and Aston Martin out of the picture too, thanks to the Charles Leclerc-Lewis Hamilton pairing and the Fernando Alonso-Lance Stroll duo secured for 2025, Mercedes appears to be the only option beyond Red Bull.
Is the uncertainty of the future of Mercedes worth the risk? Schumacher believes “that theoretically the [Red Bull] car works great, but I think that the limits of the car, including the aerodynamic stability, the car has to be driven so hard that it no longer goes over the curbs, no longer goes over bumps.
“And accordingly, I think that’s a problem, a big problem. And if they don’t get to grips with it, then Max will pull the ripcord at some point.”
With these challenges ahead, Red Bull is facing their downfall. Horner and his team must face these pressures head on as they navigate an uncertain future.
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