- Red Bull made ruthless call to replace Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda last week
- It is the latest development in tumultuous last past 12 months for the constructor
- Verstappen was reportedly upset by the move and has been linked with a move
Ralf Schumacher believes that Red Bull racing are ‘falling apart’ and are only being held together by the on-track performances of Max Verstappen.
Following the shock decision to replace Verstappen’s team-mate Liam Lawson after only two races of the 2025 season, the Austrian constructor’s recent decline is now impossible to ignore.
Lawson was unceremoniously ousted from the Red Bull seat only a matter of months after he was promoted from sister team RB following strong showings at the end of last term. Despite Verstappen winning his fourth straight driver’s title, Red Bulls’ failure to clinch the constructor’s championship showed their dominance over the field was waning.
This term, predictions of parity with McLaren now seem fanciful and given the string of drivers who have floundered in the team alongside Verstappen, fingers are finally being aimed at senior management.
Add in the departures of best-in-class talents Adrian Newey and Rob Marshall, and it is a rather bleak outlook for a normally reliably-dominant outfit.
Schumacher, who enjoyed a decade-long career in the sport driving for the likes of Jordan, Williams and Toyota, has commended Verstappen for remaining calm in the situation and insisted that the Dutchman is holding the team together.
Ralf Schumacher believes that Red Bull racing are ‘falling apart’ and are only being held together by the on-track performances of Max Verstappen
The Dutchman has continued to excel while several of his recent team-mates have struggled in the Red Bull
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko and team principal Christian Horner have come in for criticism of late
‘Red Bull is falling apart,’ he told Bild. ‘Verstappen is keeping the business going with his performances. They’ve lost many top players, and things are simmering internally. The fact that Verstappen is still staying so cool is insane.’
Last week, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko admitted Verstappen is ‘not happy’ with the team’s brutal axeing of Lawson.
Yuki Tsunoda will now take over from Lawson for the Japanese Grand Prix, but the move does not appear to have Verstappen’s blessing.
The four-time world champion liked an Instagram post suggesting team principal Christian Horner getting rid of Lawson just two races into his Red Bull career amounted to ‘bullying’.
Horner’s key advisor, Marko, conceded Verstappen is unhappy, but insisted the decision to move on from Lawson was necessary, and believes it will give Verstappen a better chance of winning another world title.
Lawson’s hasty dismissal is the latest flashpoint between the team and their star driver and fuels further speculation of the 27-year-old seeking pastures new.
Schumacher is convinced Verstappen will leave the team and he believes Aston Martin, now the home of former Red Bull designer Newey, would be the perfect landing spot.
He added: ‘Aston Martin would tailor everything to him. He would probably get the same status as at Red Bull. I don’t see that happening at Mercedes, because Toto Wolff wants to promote [Kimi] Antonelli.’
