Ralf Schumacher questions ‘missing’ factor at Red Bull after major loss of talent

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Red Bull have faced the losses of three key personnel over the last year, all moving to rival teams such as McLaren, Aston Martin, and Sauber.

The loss of Adrian Newey dominated the headlines for a while, but saying goodbye to Jonathan Wheatley – a terrific sporting director and Will Courtenay will be felt too.

From the outside, it looks as if those moves are already having an impact on the Milton Keynes-based team’s performance.

They appear to have the third, and maybe fourth fastest car at some tracks, which won’t be enough for them to retain either championship if that form continues.

Red Bull ‘missing factor’ after loss of Dietrich Mateschitz

Their drop in pace means that any turnaround will have to be facilitated by the new hires and promotions from within the team.

Those who are leaving won’t have any more influence on their cars, so will the team be able to figure their issues out?

Speaking on Sky Germany, Ralf Schumacher delivered his thoughts as to why Red Bull have lost some of their best talents.

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“[Late Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz] held those strings from the top down and always made it clear from the top down how things would go.

“That factor is definitely missing now. I think the team misses that and Horner misses that.

“Horner is someone with incredible experience and someone who does a great job, but he’s also someone who, looking at last year, maybe was also a little bit overrated when he was left on his own.”

Can Red Bull defend their championships?

It’s a tall order for Red Bull to defend both of their crowns, with McLaren already holding a significant advantage in the constructors’ standings.

Their hopes of that are effectively over without a dramatic change of events and sudden turnaround from Sergio Perez.

The drivers’ championship is where their resources are focused, with Max Verstappen leading the way by 52 points from Lando Norris.

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His task is to finish second without the fastest lap at every remaining race this year to guarantee his fourth consecutive crown.

But, there’s a lot of pressure on him to push hard and overperform, so their upgrades at the United States Grand Prix could decide where their season goes in the final six races.