Red Bull 'missing figure' hurting Max Verstappen F1 future

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has suggested Red Bull is missing the absence of Helmut Marko amid its current struggles.

The Milton Keynes-based squad has endured a difficult start to the year, failing to offer a challenge at the front of the grid.

Max Verstappen has also threatened to walk away from the sport, voicing his disappointment with the new cars which have a heavy influence on battery harvesting and deployment.

As question marks swirl over the four-time champion's future, Schumacher has stated former Red Bull advisor Marko would have offered a strong voice in the current troubles.

"I think you just have to be honest now and say that Red Bull is not really attractive in the current situation," Schumacher told the Backstage Boxengasse podcast.  

"It is again a long-term project at the moment. First of all, there is the engine development, which they have done well by the way.

"But the team itself is a bit chaotic at the moment; it goes in all directions. There is no clear communication to the outside world. 

“Helmut Marko is also missing as a figure to give some kind of guidance.”

Article continues below.

Schumacher convinced over Verstappen's Red Bull exit

Marko departed Red Bull at the end of 2025 following a two-decade association with the squad.

The team has gone through various senior personnel changes over the last 18 months, with Verstappen being tipped by some to be the next major name out the door.

But Schumacher is not so sure about the possibility of Verstappen's exit.

"If Verstappen were to leave, it would be difficult,” he said. 

“That's how it is: people have focused very strongly on Verstappen, rightly so given his successes. But I still do not believe he will leave.

"Just leaving in a situation where the team is not working and the car is not working.... That would be a kind of running away. 

“That doesn't fit his character. On the contrary, I believe it is important for him to bring the team back to the front."