Red Bull's dominance may already be fading, according to 1997 Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve. The former F1 driver believes the Milton Keynes-based outfit has lost the identity that once made it one of the sport's most feared teams, warning that years of internal turmoil and key departures have left Max Verstappen carrying the team almost single-handedly.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Show following the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, Villeneuve painted a concerning picture of Red Bull's current situation as speculation surrounding Verstappen's future continues to grow.
Villeneuve: Verstappen Is Carrying Red Bull
With rumours continuing to link Max Verstappen to a potential departure, Villeneuve stressed just how vital the four-time world champion remains to Red Bull's hopes. "Well, they need to find a way to try and keep him there because he's the only good thing in the team right now, other than the engine, because as we found out, the engine is very good, the ICE part of the engine," Villeneuve said.
The Canadian believes the conversation surrounding Red Bull has shifted dramatically. Instead of praising the team for its engineering brilliance or race-day execution, the focus has become almost entirely centred on Verstappen's ability to extract results from a difficult car.
'It's Lost Its Sparkle'
Villeneuve didn't hold back when describing Red Bull's current atmosphere, suggesting the team has become consumed by internal politics over the past few seasons.
"It's become a very political place in the last two or three years. It seems that there's so much internal strife over who's going to lead, who's going to do that, and everybody's been kicked out. It's very difficult to see a good future at Red Bull. It's really odd."
He believes Red Bull no longer carries the reputation it once enjoyed during its championship-winning years. "They rode the wave. Right now they're going down, and they haven't reached the bottom yet. So that's a tough one. It's lost its sparkle. Nobody talks about the Red Bull team as, 'The crazy, fun, fast team. They will always find a solution.'
"No, they're not even part of the equation anymore. We don't talk about them. We just talk about, 'It's tough on Max, but thank God he's there because he can still drive this car hard.' That's more of the narrative right now. Not the team but Max."
A Team Transformed by High-Profile Departures
Villeneuve also pointed to the growing list of influential figures who have left Red Bull in recent years, arguing that the organisation has gradually lost many of the people responsible for building its success. Among the major departures have been Christian Horner, Jonathan Wheatley, Helmut Marko, and legendary designer Adrian Newey, although the reasons behind several of those exits have never been fully disclosed publicly.
According to Villeneuve, Verstappen himself joined Red Bull after the team's championship foundations had already been established. "So, it's a tough place, but they've gotten rid of everyone that's made this team what it is today, which is crazy because even Max arrived after the team had been built," he said.
Red Bull Still Has Work to Do
While praising Verstappen's technical feedback, Villeneuve emphasized that even a driver of his calibre cannot replace the experienced personnel who have left the organisation. He also suggested Red Bull's once-famous young driver programme has faded from the spotlight following recent internal changes.
"But as you see, even Helmut Marko was pushed aside, and now it looks like the young driver programme is... Nobody's talking about it anymore, so everything has kind of been destroyed and has to be rebuilt. Despite his criticism, Villeneuve believes Red Bull can eventually recover once the off-track issues are resolved. But it will be rebuilt, and for that, we need to wait for all the political aspects to be settled."
For now, Red Bull sits fourth in the Constructors' Championship, a position that underlines the challenges facing the team as questions continue to surround both its long-term direction and Verstappen's future.
