Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports Germany presenter Ralf Schumacher has argued that Red Bull is now paying the price for having lost several key people in recent years, as he questioned whether its sister team Racing Bulls had done a better job over the winter break.
The Milton Keynes outfit has seen a lot of change recently, with several key personnel leaving the team. Included among those to have left the team were team principal Christian Horner, technical director Adrian Newey, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, chief designer Craig Skinner and chief engineering officer Rob Marshall.
"You’re now paying the price for having lost several people in the team," Schumacher told Sky Sports Germany. "And the new concept, the new regulations, weren’t implemented as well as expected or as planned. The engine is OK.
"But if we’re completely honest, we didn’t see it with Lindblad yet, Racing Bulls actually seems to have done almost a better job over the winter. And that’s something Red Bull really has to question internally.
"The car is heavy and simply not good enough. Even Max [Verstappen] can’t change that. So there’s a lot of work to do, a long list."
When asked about the difficult situation for four-time champion Verstappen, the German added: "Well, life isn’t always easy. That’s just how it is sometimes, and he’ll have to get through it. The potential is there, and he has a team behind him.
"We saw it last year as well, there was a phase where things didn’t go well. And in the end, they were almost fighting for the championship again.
"So the potential is definitely there. There’s no reason to throw in the towel yet. That’s also part of being a world champion, you have to push through moments like this."
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