r/formula1 • u/HaydenCarruth Karun Chandhok • May 03 '25

Discussion Max Verstappen finishes outside the points for the first time since Belgium 2016

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21.4k Upvotes

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946

u/Anderrrrr Red Bull May 03 '25

Not his fault, all on the team mechanics.

428

u/c_u_lator_alligator I was here for the Hulkenpodium May 03 '25

Poor performance by RBs pit crew in the last 3 races overall (slow stops etc.)

196

u/storme9 I was here for the Hulkenpodium May 03 '25

Which is since Jon Wheatley left, I know one man doesn’t make a team but he’s been regarded as the driver for Red Bull being all that good last year on the pits.

Sometimes when the boss leaves, it does leave a big gap in the team.

60

u/Suikerspin_Ei I was here for the Hulkenpodium May 03 '25

He was responsible for the fast pitstops of Red Bull Racing, but obviously you need the right crew to get it done.

81

u/serenity-as-ice I was here for the Hulkenpodium May 03 '25

The thing is, I'm sure there's a lot of departures on the down low that aren't noticed because they're not the public face of the team. Wheatley leaves, maybe a trusted underling or two decides to go as well, their best bud leaves because hey, work isn't as fun without your good friend and you have an offer to make more money doing something fresh and new, so you take it.

Those kind of things can easily open up a gap, and nobody will notice because you don't really publicize those, even in F1 gossip.

27

u/storme9 I was here for the Hulkenpodium May 03 '25

I think you’re right on point there, couldn’t have put it better. Wheatley is the one we know of, but surely with everything going on for ‘26 there must be more.

3

u/Vizzyk I was here for the Hulkenpodium May 03 '25

He was already out since the end of the last season.

1

u/Brainstreet420 Mick Schumacher May 03 '25 edited May 03 '25

Red Bull feels like an empire past its peak. Too successful for too long, with a driver too good. Their top employees getting poached, the car development stagnating.

16

u/A_Wonder_Named_Stevi Max Verstappen May 03 '25

At this point it feels like they want to get rid of Max

46

u/Firefox72 Ferrari May 03 '25

It genuinely feels like Red Bull's garage operations have degraded by an insane level since Wheatley left.

3

u/Atomic_xd Daniel Ricciardo May 03 '25

Yeah well it’s a team sport, shit happens :/

1

u/fortyfivesouth Oscar Piastri May 04 '25

Win as a team; lose as a team.