McLaren CEO Zak Brown has claimed the “toxic environment” within Red Bull could even dissuade possible sponsors from wanting to partner with the Formula 1 side.
Red Bull’s preparations as it geared up to retain both championships on track were unsettled earlier in the season through the investigation into boss Christian Horner.
Although Horner was exonerated from inappropriate behaviour allegations, Max Verstappen’s father Jos said Red Bull could be “torn apart” with his ongoing presence.
But while Red Bull has continued to prevail with six victories in nine races, the team was rocked with the news that design guru Adrian Newey will leave in March 2025.
Brown has reiterated his previous call that McLaren has received increasing applications from Red Bull affiliates and he believes the saga has still not reached an end.
“Red Bull is a pretty toxic environment right now,” Brown told Bloomberg’s Hot Pursuit podcast. “There is more to come.
“Newey’s departure is an important one, because I think a lot of people at Red Bull started working with him. I already mentioned that there were resumes circulating.
“That happens all the time, but you see a higher level of discomfort.
“I also think that in the future it will be more difficult with sponsors, because they are going to examine carefully what they are associated with. That’s a tricky situation.”
The probe involving Horner saw an apparent power struggle ensue inside Red Bull, prompting question marks over Verstappen completing his contract through 2028.
Verstappen has insisted that he retains no reason to depart Red Bull, but Brown is adamant that the reigning champions aren’t as impenetrable as it was last season.
“You have the whole Verstappen drama. Is he staying or is he leaving? Max has a contract, only his father is pretty outspoken,” Brown added.
“Red Bull is a great racing team, but destabilised. You can see that with Newey leaving. However, you can never erase them.
“As I said, they are an incredible team, just by my reasoning, they are not as strong as they used to be.
“If I look at who has the best path of visibility and momentum right now, it’s Ferrari and McLaren. Things can change quickly though, so we have to keep both feet on the ground.”
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