Red Bull Racing Downplays Staff Departure Concerns Amidst Rival Interest

During the Miami Grand Prix weekend, it was reported that several key staff members from Red Bull Racing including long-serving sporting manager Jonathan Wheatley have attracted interest from rival teams. Zak Brown CEO of McLaren F1 observed a rise in resumes from Red Bull personnel hinting at potential departures amid internal tensions between the Austrian and Thai factions of the organization, notably involving iconic designer Adrian Newey. This suggests that the rift within Red Bull Racing could lead to additional staff exits. This implies that the internal division within Red Bull Racing might result in more staff departing from the team.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner dismissed concerns about the potential loss of staff, citing the successful recruitment of over 200 employees from Mercedes’ HPP engine program to Red Bull Powertrains. Horner also suggested that public comments from Brown and Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff are to be expected but declined to engage in a public exchange.

Red Bull clarified that some staff movement is normal during contract renewal cycles with Wheatley contract ending soon and his interest in a team principal role elsewhere. The team has recently extended contracts for other senior employees including Enrico Balbo (head of aerodynamics), Ben Waterhouse (head of performance engineering) and technical director Pierre Wache.