Red Bull warned over Verstappen departure amid team unrest

Red Bull has been warned that the ongoing situation within the Red Bull organisation could lead to Max Verstappen's departure from the team.

Throughout the Bahrain Grand Prix, there was much focus on Christian Horner following the alleged leak of WhatsApp messages between the Red Bull Team Principal and the woman who is understood to have filed a complaint against him.

Following an investigation into the allegations made against Horner, a Red Bull GmbH statement asserted that the grievance had been dismissed before the alleged messages emerged.

The situation at the Milton Keynes-based squad took another turn on Saturday night when Jos declared that Red Bull will be “torn apart” if Horner stays on in his role.

Schumacher hints at potential Verstappen exit

Ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes that the possibility of a Red Bull departure for Verstappen exists.

“It speaks volumes, I thought Verstappen was not very enthusiastic after his victory, Schumacher told Sky Germany.

“So the fuss is not over. Everyone has to apologise to each other, or someone has to leave. In any case, the damage to the brand is huge.

"There is so much turmoil. I could imagine Verstappen saying he's going to do something else. A team structure is very fragile. If something like that happens at Red Bull, everything falls apart very quickly.”

Speaking about the potential for Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey to depart, Schumacher said: “He has already achieved everything and just wants to build cars quietly.

“Before I lose Newey and Verstappen, I'd try to find another solution. Peace must return to the team.”

Verstappen currently has a long-term contract in place with Red Bull that runs until the end of the 2028 season.

An early exit would likely lead to a hearing before the Contract Recognition Board, which would cost Mercedes a sizeable sum to seek Verstappen's services.

Toto Wolff told media including RacingNews365 after the Bahrain Grand Prix: “A driver will always choose the quickest car, that is what it is fundamentally all about.

“Red Bull is the quickest car, and in my opinion that will always be the priority."