Ralf Schumacher expects Verstappen to leave after Newey exit

Yesterday it was announced that Adrian Newey will be leaving the Red Bull Racing team. The news has been in the air for quite some time, and it is a big blow for Red Bull. Ralf Schumacher thinks that Newey’s departure will ensure that Max Verstappen will also leave.

Verstappen has been associated with a departure from Red Bull for some time. The Dutch reigning world champion still has a long-term contract, but he previously stated that it is important that Red Bull keeps the most important pawns on board. Newey’s departure therefore means that an important pawn is disappearing, and Verstappen is probably not very happy about that.

Possibilities

Ralf Schumacher now knows for sure that Verstappen will leave Red Bull. The German former driver and current analyst makes his statements to his compatriots from Sky Sports: “I also think he has other possibilities. In the paddock you already hear stories about him talking to others. The question is whether it is will happen next year, or in the year after that. For me it is certain that he wants to leave.”

Deflation

Schumacher thinks that there will certainly be an exodus from the Red Bull team. The German points to Newey’s departure and its consequences: “Engineers are leaving who want to go somewhere else with Newey. The team spirit is no longer what Dietrich Mateschitz would have wanted. What is happening now is a real shame and very sad. It is very disappointing that it is now falling apart because of people who were given the opportunity by Mateschitz, while at the core they are just employees. It is unbelievable.