Ralf Schumacher tells Red Bull the real person to blame as Christian Horner exit won’t ‘change anything’

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Red Bull sacked their F1 CEO and team principal Christian Horner after 20 years at the helm, yet Ralf Schumacher doubts Laurent Mekies taking over will fix a vital problem.

The Milton Keynes team have a new boss for just the second time since Red Bull took Jaguar off Ford’s hands before the 2005 season. Horner had steered their ship since Red Bull joined the grid, but a mixture of their declining form and his fight for power cost the Briton his job.

Horner crucially lost the support of Thai majority owner Chalerm Yoovidhya, having already lost the backing of Red Bull GmbH co-owner Mark Mateschitz and managing director Oliver Mintzlaff. So, Red Bull sacked Horner without telling him why and placed Mekies in his void.

Mekies has stepped up from Racing Bulls to be their new F1 CEO and team principal, whilst Red Bull and Horner negotiate a pay-off that could exceed £50m. While the 51-year-old has been removed from his operational duties, Horner has a contract at Red Bull through 2030.

Ralf Schumacher feels Pierre Wache is Red Bull’s real problem instead of Christian Horner

But Schumacher does not think Mekies replacing Horner in charge of Red Bull is enough for the team to turn their fortunes around, as Pierre Wache is still their technical director. After scoring 373 points in the first 12 rounds of the 2024 F1 season, Red Bull have 172 this year.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull team principal and CEO Laurent Mekies

Red Bull have also only won seven of the 31 Grands Prix since confirming that Adrian Newey was leaving the team in May 2024, with Wache taking over as the head of their design crew. That form is in stark contrast to Red Bull winning 53 of the 71 Grands Prix before Newey left.

Schumacher told Sky Germany in the wake of Mekies replacing Horner as Red Bull’s new F1 CEO and team principal: “The change of team principal will initially not change anything in the technical team. Designer Pierre Wache will continue to build the car next year.

“It almost looks as if he won’t be able to close this gap, replace Adrian Newey in any way and build a winning car.”

Max Verstappen has lost faith in Pierre Wache since he filled Adrian Newey’s void

Schumacher is not alone in pointing the finger of blame for Red Bull’s woes over the last 15 months towards Wache, despite Horner having now been sacked from the top job in Milton Keynes. It is also said that Horner’s exit has left Wache vulnerable at Red Bull going forward.

Horner was Wache’s biggest supporter and even championed the Frenchman’s involvement at Newey’s expense. He often played down the Briton’s importance to Red Bull’s dominance after the re-introduction of ground effect cars in 2021, despite Newey being widely praised.

READ MORE: All to know on sacked Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with net worth

The problems that Red Bull have endured since sidelining Newey for the remainder of 2024 upon announcing his departure that May have also seen Max Verstappen lose confidence in Wache. Red Bull have continually struggled to develop their car against the rise of McLaren.

Schumacher has also previously indicated that Verstappen has no hope in Wache designing Red Bull’s car for F1’s 2026 regulations, having seen the Frenchman fail to fill Newey’s void. It could be fatal to Red Bull’s hopes for a resurgence next year if their design team struggles.