What Red Bull lacks and McLaren has: A former Formula 1 driver on the problems that even a new team boss cannot solve immediately
Former Formula 1 driver Robert Doornbos no longer considers Red Bull a top team and does not see new team boss Laurent Mekies as a savior: “One man won’t change anything,”
Although Mekies is Christian Horner’s successor at Red Bull, he has to work with the current technical team – “and that’s a different team from the one that helped Max Verstappen achieve his successes,” explains Doornbos.
He points to the many departures at Red Bull: designer Adrian Newey went to Aston Martin, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley to Sauber/Audi, chief designer Rob Marshall to McLaren. And now Horner, a constant figure for the past two decades, is also gone.
“Key people like that can’t just be replaced,” says Doornbos. “I therefore don’t believe that Red Bull will return to the top so quickly in this way. It has to start from scratch and rebuild – and wait and see how the new rules develop.”
Why Mekies has to create new structures
But waiting alone is not enough, emphasizes Doornbos: “Mekies has to make some changes within the team. Because things simply cannot continue as they are.”
This is evident, for example, in the sharp tone of the radio communications with Max Verstappen: The four-time Formula 1 world champion frequently criticizes the handling of his Red Bull car.
This comes as no surprise to former Formula 1 driver Doornbos (details of his career can be found in the Formula 1 database!): “In a team, you depend on each other to deliver maximum performance. When Max gets in the car, he takes responsibility for his driving talent, but can he rely on the car being well set up and continuing to run?”
What McLaren has that Red Bull lacks
The new Red Bull team boss Mekies needs to work on restoring this trust. “In moments like these, you win and lose together,” says Doornbos. “That’s why you hear this intensity over the team radio.”
It’s different at McLaren. According to Doornbos, the current top team in Formula 1 is at a “peak. It’s riding a fantastic wave of success: the team is delivering the fastest pit stops for both drivers, the car is competitive, and the drivers are incredibly balanced. That’s not the case at Red Bull.”
