Max Verstappen has been labelled as the new team leader at Red Bull following the acrimonious departure of Christian Horner in 2025.
2025 was a tumultuous year for Red Bull in Formula 1, as Christian Horner’s battle with the team’s parent company boiled over into public disagreements.
Under Horner’s dramatic final year, the likes of Jonathan Wheatley and Adrian Newey all departed the team, creating instability.
Verstappen was rumoured to be in the mix to leave Red Bull, but re-committed to the team publicly as the furore surrounding the team began to subside.
With Red Bull’s new chapter now firmly underway after Bahrain testing, former F1 driver and TV pundit Ralf Schumacher has labelled the Dutchman as the unchallenged team leader.
“Verstappen has found his position as an absolute team leader, and not every driver can do that,” he said on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast.
“Now, of course, a designer [Adrian Newey] has left, but he seemed to be active in the background before, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”
“We’ve talked about it before: Christian Horner wasn’t far off when he said the engine works.
“That whole subject was under his direction until recently. Apparently, they have attracted good people there.
“Then you have the influence of Ford, which joined more or less voluntarily, especially on the electronic side. That also runs very harmoniously.”
Ford collaboration crucial to keeping Max Verstappen?
Schumacher elaborated on the collaboration with Ford, hoping it creates intrigue in the title battle in 2026, aiding the effort of keeping Max Verstappen.
“We remember the interview with Peter Bayer, who was very enthusiastic about the way Ford works: familial, really motorsport and down-to-earth,” he said.
“That’s actually exactly what Red Bull also radiates, and that’s why I think it’s going to be a great collaboration.
“I would almost say it will be a nice three-way battle, because I’m not sure where McLaren stands either. I’m curious to see where they really come out.”
READ MORE: Christian Horner reveals supposed betrayal that led to acrimonious Red Bull divorce
Discussion about this post