Red Bull reflects on a turbulent first half of the season. While the team disappoints competitively, there is also unrest off the track. Yuki Tsunoda inherited Liam Lawson’s seat early on, but so far has made little impression in the RB21. Meanwhile, exit rumors about Max Verstappen continue to flare up, and the team also bid farewell to regular team boss Christian Horner. Former driver Ralf Schumacher is harsh on the once invincible Red Bull.
During the recent Hungarian GP, Red Bull reached a new low, as Schumacher also observed. Max Verstappen qualified in a disappointing eighth place, despite previous successes on the Hungarian asphalt. In the race, he lost another position, resulting in the reigning world champion crossing the finish line in ninth place. Teammate Tsunoda didn’t fare much better; the Japanese driver started from the pit lane and ended up in P17. It was the seventh consecutive race in which he went home without points.
Schumacher emphasized the severity of the crisis at Red Bull and noted that he cannot remember Verstappen ever driving so far back in the field. With ten Grands Prix to go, the chances are slim that the title holder can make up his deficit to Oscar Piastri. The difference with the championship leader currently stands at 97 World Championship points.
In the podcast Backstage Boxengasse, Schumacher highlighted the precarious situation at Red Bull. “I think Red Bull is the biggest disappointment of all the teams,” the German said. “People won’t like me saying that. But they have, despite the good start to the season, declined so strongly – the low point was of course the Hungarian GP.” Schumacher watched with regret as Verstappen had to fight for a place in the top ten. “I can’t even remember Max ever being so far behind, apart from his time at Toro Rosso,” Schumacher sighed.
