The F1 world is a hotbed of activity once again, with drama spiking between McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes. The latest war of words revolves around Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull and what it means for the team’s future.
McLaren’s Zak Brown has stirred the pot by claiming a surge in interest from Red Bull staff after Adrian Newey’s exit. Brown suggested Newey was the ‘first domino to fall,’ prompting reactions from key figures in the F1 world.
Toto Wolff, speaking at the FIA press conference, echoed Brown’s sentiments, acknowledging a flow of Red Bull CVs crossing into his purview. However, Christian Horner countered aggressively, pointing out that Red Bull had poached 220 staff from Mercedes, insinuating that Mercedes should be more concerned about this mass exodus.
James Allison, Mercedes’ Technical Director, sought to downplay the idea of a significant brain drain, suggesting such personnel movements are par for the course in F1. ‘It’s the normal ebb and flow of an F1 team,’ he remarked, emphasizing the constant interchange between teams.
The backdrop to this back-and-forth is Red Bull’s bold move to develop their own power units by 2026, controlled by new cost cap regulations. This shift might explain a recent recalibration at Mercedes’ HPP unit, potentially trimming staff to stay within budget constraints.
Wolff’s optimism hasn’t matched performance on the track. Despite recent upgrades, Mercedes has struggled, exemplified by Lewis Hamilton’s 35-second lag behind race winner Max Verstappen in Italy. Even a solid qualifying lap from George Russell couldn’t mask the team’s deeper issues.
Peter Windsor criticized Wolff’s claims of progress, labeling them as ‘nonsense’ on his YouTube channel, observing that Mercedes’ lap times were barely competitive with those of Red Bull’s junior team.
Fred Vasseur, Ferrari’s boss, also threw shade at Mercedes, humorously noting their slight gains over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the recent race as ‘noteworthy progress.’
Mercedes finds itself in an unprecedented slump. Their performance this season has been dismal, with neither Hamilton nor Russell finishing better than fifth over seven races. Comparatively, their point tally is almost halved from the same period last year, spelling trouble in the constructors’ race.
The once-dominant Mercedes team is under intense scrutiny, facing fierce competition and struggles both on and off the track. As F1 heads to Monaco, the spotlight will remain firmly on whether Mercedes can turn their fortunes around.
