Red Bull warned off-track F1 drama is ‘beginning of the end’
Red Bull have been warned about repercussions from the saga which overshadowed the team last year.
The off-track saga surrounding Red Bull ahead of the 2024 F1 season could be “the beginning of the end”, believes Gerhard Berger.
Red Bull’s start to last season was overshadowed by a scandal surrounding team principal Christian Horner, who was accused - and later cleared - of inappropriate behaviour towards a female colleague.
Allegations of coercive, abusive behaviour and sexual harassment were made against Horner but he was cleared following an internal investigation, while the woman who complained had her appeal dismissed.
The saga created turmoil within the team and resulted in messy political infighting involving Max Verstappen’s father, Jos, who called for Horner to step down.
Horner remained in post and while Red Bull slipped to third place in the constructors’ championship, Verstappen was able to clinch a fourth successive drivers’ world title.
Red Bull warned by ex-Toro Rosso chief
But Berger, who was the co-owner of Red Bull’s sister team Toro Rosso when they debuted in F1 in 2006, reckons the controversy will still impact the Milton Keynes squad.
“It is often the beginning of the end when such issues are brought up,” Berger told Auto Motor und Sport.
“Formula 1 is so complex and so competitive that you can only succeed if everyone in the team pulls together, if everyone agrees and communicates well with each other.
“The Red Bull brand has always radiated cheerfulness and a cool image. All of a sudden, everything changed.”
Berger also feels Red Bull no longer communicate as clearly or directly as they did before their late founder Dietrich Mateschitz died.
“Completely untypical for the team, there are no clear statements anymore,” he added.
“Let’s take Perez as an example. That he no longer delivers the performance has been seen.
“That they still gave him a contract again was not understood by anyone in the industry.
“There may have been reasons, such as marketing pressures or contractual obligations. But when things didn’t improve afterwards, they gave him three more races, then two more, and avoided making a decision.
“I couldn’t see a clear line there. In Mateschitz’s times, Red Bull was always famous for its clarity.”
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