The end for Red Bull? Dutch pundit warns they ‘could just leave Formula 1’

Losing key personnel to rival teams, Jeroen Bleekemolen has warned Red Bull could fall apart, and as the dominos fall, Max Verstappen would leave and the team “could” quit F1.

In the “usual game in Formula 1”, as Helmut Marko put it, Red Bull are losing three key team members to rival teams with Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley and Will Courtenay on their way out.

‘Maybe it will ultimately be the end of Red Bull in Formula 1’

Enticed by rival teams Aston Martin, Audi and McLaren respectively having played key roles in Red Bull’s run of championship titles, Marko concedes Red Bull staff are “coveted by other teams” due to their success.

“That hurts,” he added to Austrian broadcaster ORF, “but if they leave for financial reasons, for career reasons, because you can’t keep up with the offers, then that’s the way it goes.”

But while Dutch racing driver Bleekemolen agrees with the logic, he’s warned it could lead to a decline in Red Bull’s results.

“As Helmut Marko already indicated, it is logical that you are bought out. It is a tough top sport on all levels,” Bleekemolen said in the Formula 1 Paddock Talk podcast on Formule1.nl . “Other teams try to peddle those people and see who they can get.

“That is how all those teams eventually fell apart, look at Williams and McLaren.”

That could then lead to dominos falling with Verstappen the first to leave as he chases a race-winning car and then Red Bull may as well as quit the sport.

“Maybe it will ultimately be the end of Red Bull in Formula 1,” he continued. “Not that they will pull the plug, but there is so much going on.

“If everything falls apart, and Verstappen leaves, then it will be a lot worse in percentage terms. Because then you are not second with this car, look at [Sergio] Perez, but then you are further back.

“If they then drive in the midfield with the four cars they have and the other branch wants to focus more on another sport, then they could just leave Formula 1.”

The threat of Verstappen leaving Red Bull if they cannot give him a race-winning car is one that Marko is well aware of as he recently told ORF .

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“Because it’s clear that if we don’t give Max Verstappen a car he can win with, then in the long run all those contracts of top drivers have performance-related exit clauses and Max will then start looking at others, provided he’s still having fun,” said the motorsport advisor.

“That’s another factor that comes into play. He will drive where the best package is always on offer.”

Bleekemolen agrees with Marko that the triple World Champion could walk away from Red Bull, telling RN365: “If it doesn’t work out – and he won’t end up driving at the back – then I can just see that happening yes. He doesn’t feel like it then.”

As for where he could end up if he even chooses to remain in F1, he reckons “Aston Martin”, although it may only be after he takes a “six-month sabbatical, or so maybe during the season still.

“That is absolutely not inconceivable either.”

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