(Motorsport-Total.com) – Jacques Villeneuve, 1997 Formula 1 World Champion, has expressed clear criticism of the current situation at Red Bull. The Canadian is convinced that the team from Milton Keynes has “lost its shine” after “getting rid of everyone who made this team what it is today”.
Read more Ex-world champion warns: Red Bull «has not yet reached the low point»
In the Sky Sports F1 Show, the 55-year-old spoke after the Barcelona-Catalonia Grand Prix about the development of the racing team and the ongoing speculation about a possible departure of Max Verstappen, who is repeatedly linked with Mercedes.
“Well, they have to find a way to keep him there because at the moment he is the only thing still good in the team – apart from the engine,” Villeneuve says. “Because as we have found out, the engine is very good, at least the internal combustion part (ICE).”
“It has become a very political place in the last two or three years. It seems like there is so much internal fighting about who takes the lead, who does this or that, and everyone has been kicked out. It is very hard to see a good future at Red Bull. It is really strange.”
Jacques Villeneuve: Red Bull has “lost its shine”
“They rode the wave of success,” the Canadian looks back on the world titles with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. But “at the moment things are going downhill, and they have not yet reached the low point. So that is a tough number.”
For Villeneuve, the public perception of the team has fundamentally changed. “The team has lost its shine,” he is convinced. “No one talks about Red Bull anymore as the ‘crazy, fun, fast team that always finds a solution.’ No, they are not even part of that equation anymore. We don’t talk about them.”
Read more Ex-world champion warns: Red Bull «has not yet reached the low point»
“We only talk about: ‘It is hard for Max, but thank God he is there because he can still drive this car at the limit.’ That is more the narrative at the moment. Not the team, but Max.” From the once successful team, little remains now.
In recent years, Red Bull has had to endure numerous prominent departures, including Christian Horner, Jonathan Wheatley, Helmut Marko, and Adrian Newey. “So it is a tough patch, but they have gotten rid of everyone who made this team what it is today,” says Villeneuve.
At Red Bull, “somehow everything is destroyed”
“That is crazy because even Max only arrived when the team was already built,” recalls the 1997 world champion. “He was the last building block of the team, but now he is the last remaining soldier. And that makes it really hard because he cannot carry the team alone.”
“He is not a car designer. He is very good at further developing a car and saying what is needed, but you still need the people around you. But as you can see, even Helmut Marko was pushed to the sidelines, and now it looks like the junior program … no one talks about it anymore.”
“So somehow everything has been destroyed and has to be rebuilt,” Villeneuve says. Despite his criticism, he still sees chances for the team’s future: “It will be rebuilt. For that, we have to wait until all the political aspects are resolved.”
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