Red Bull is currently grappling with the repercussions of several significant exits, former Formula 1 driver Christijan Albers observes.
The departures of Dan Fallows to Aston Martin, Rob Marshall to McLaren, and particularly Adrian Newey's gradual exit are undermining the team's performance, the Dutch commentator believes.
"I've kept hearing for over a year now - Pierre Wache is the man," Albers remarked.
"'Adrian is nothing'. I keep hearing that sort of thing," he shared with De Telegraaf.
Indeed, the initial dominance of the 2024 season for Red Bull tapered off - coinciding with the announcement of Newey's departure.
"There are two factors that have played a role in this," Albers speculated.
"Newey, who gives a certain philosophy, direction, and a leadership that functions so well. And the departure of Rob Marshall that played maybe an even bigger role. We can all see that the performance is no longer coming," the former Minardi driver commented.
"They hoped for much more from that update, that's clear, and maybe it will just take a while. The reality is that, since those two men left, the dominance is no longer there," he added.
Albers also criticized the team's management decisions, particularly the premature contract extension for Sergio Perez for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
"Sorry to say it," the 45-year-old expressed, "but I think (Christian) Horner was too quick to try to create peace in the team in that way. It was a kamikaze action to sign Perez in the worst form he has ever been in.
"Horner does everything to please Verstappen, whether Max loses sleep over it or not."
Furthermore, Albers is skeptical about Dr. Helmut Marko's recently revised Red Bull contract, which allegedly removes the clause that would allow Max Verstappen to exit should Marko leave suddenly. "They simply paid a lot of money to create peace," Albers stated bluntly.
"If that side letter really is gone, Max's contract will be valid until 2028 - unless he does not like the performance of the car." body check tags ::
