Max Verstappen has become the face of dominance in Formula 1. But do you think he did it all alone? Absolutely not! He had help. From Adrian Newey’s alchemy to Honda’s ‘secret’ ingredient, there was a lot that went behind the scenes. However, the Honda and Milton Keynes partnership is towards a dead end. While RB has now partnered with Ford for 2026 onwards, Honda has decided to join forces with Aston Martin. But Honda’s previous announcement of the stoppage of F1 activities cost them dearly.
Formula 1 is a dream destination for many, racers and technicians alike. However, with the Japanese manufacturer announcing that they wouldn’t be continuing their F1 activities, a lot of dreams were certainly shattered and naturally, a lot of talented folks left for greener pastures. While their F1-adieu decision has changed since then, the company is still short-staffed.
Gearing up to prepare for 2026 in terms of personnel, as quoted by F1Maximaal, Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe said, “When we announced that we would stop our F1 activities, most of the engineers left the F1 department. All the key engineers have gone to other projects, such as Honda Mobility. As a result, we have had to refill these positions, although not entirely with the same people. Some are still the same, but for other positions, it was a bit more difficult. That takes some time.”
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While the void of this loss/break up has already been filled by Milton Keynes, a recent trend of people leaving the Austrian team threatens the empire Christian Horner has built. Can he hold fort?
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Former Ferrari Engineer poses pressing questions to Christian Horner
Jos Verstappen had predicted Red Bull would be torn apart if the team stayed embroiled in the Christian Horner controversy and that is now seemingly becoming a reality. If sources are to be believed, Max Verstappen is in negotiations with Mercedes and Adrian Newey with Ferrari. With such a pressing issue at hand, can Horner manage to keep his members close? Well, former Ferrari Engineer Ernest Knoors had a very interesting answer to this question.
“It is a big risk for Red Bull. The stability of the team. What else is going to happen? Who else is going to leave? At some point, a strong leader, in this case Christian Horner, does have to make sure he keeps enough techies and bright minds in that team. And is Christian Horner currently the undisputed and impeccable leader who can provide that? That may well be questionable,” the former Ferrari engineer said.
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And not just Ernest Knoors, many more industry insiders have come forward to share their displeasure with Christian Horner, with the latest being Ralf Schumacher. Now, it remains to be seen how Red bull navigates these tough waves. Do you think they’ll be able to keep their glory intact? Let us know in the comments below!