The Red Bull Racing team had a few tumultuous weeks. Team principal and CEO Christian Horner was dismissed, and there was much speculation about the future of Max Verstappen with the team. Jolyon Palmer commented on the chaos within the team.
Horner's dismissal was discussed on the F1 Nation podcast. Laurent Mekies was named as Horner's successor, but according to Palmer, the new team principal faces a daunting challenge, retaining Verstappen.
''There are really big issues that he needs to address immediately, and the driver lineup is clearly one of them. Verstappen's contract and all the rumors coincide exactly with the moment Christian was removed from the team.
"So I think that's something that Laurent, together with the top of Red Bull, needs to get clarity on quickly: can they retain their star driver? Because right now, Max seems to be the glue holding the whole team together. If you take Max away from Red Bull, then they have lost all their old management. Only Helmut Marko is still there, in an advisory role."
Exodus of key figures at Red Bull Racing
Palmer also dissected the Red Bull personnel who have left the team. Newey went to Aston Martin, Wheatley to Sauber, and Marshall went to McLaren. Despite these individuals leaving the team, the former F1 driver also discussed how Verstappen has been able to direct the team.
''Many people from the race team with leadership roles have left. Yet Max still manages to take pole position at Silverstone. He is still able to steer the team. GP (Gianpiero Lambiase) will now clearly also play a central role, and he has an excellent relationship with Max.
"But the other drivers are also a big question mark. And that's exactly where Laurent has a lot of experience, for example from previously working with Yuki Tsunoda and others, to try to get clarity on what's going on there."
What do we know about Max Verstappen's future?
The rumours about Max Verstappen's future grew more persistent when his yacht was sighted in Sardinia. Coincidentally, Toto Wolff's yacht seemed to be there too, leading to a lot of speculation. However, GPblog reported that it was purely coincidental and there was no talk of a possible transfer. Whether Verstappen remains with Red Bull is not yet a foregone conclusion, GPblog has listed the current situation.
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